Rishi has praised a North Yorkshire farming business for its commitment to livestock welfare and the success of its retailing operation.
Tunstall Meat Company (TMC) rears cattle, sheep and pigs at its farms at Tunstall and Newton le Willows and sells its meat through a Richmond butcher’s shop and online.
Rishi visited the company’s Manor Farm at Newton le Willows to see its herd of Belted Galloway and Hereford cattle grazing on pasture. Earlier this year TMC Butchers was accredited by the Pasture for Life organisation. Pasture for Life promotes the benefits of feeding stock purely on grass.
The Richmond and Northallerton MP was also shown the range of the company’s retail meat products.
He said: “This is a real farm-to-fork enterprise where traceability, sustainability and quality of the product offered to the consumer is of the highest order.
“The herd of Belted Galloways and Herefords looked superb grazing on the rich Wensleydale pasture.
“It is great to see TMC Butchers doing well with an efficient digital offering online but also keeping faith with traditional retailing through the Richmond shop.”
The herd at Newton le Willows is just part of its collection of pedigree, native and often rare breeds of animal looked after in a natural, outdoor environment to produce high quality meat using regenerative and sustainable farming methods.
The stock includes Hereford and Belted Galloway cattle, Hampshire Down sheep and Berkshire pigs.
TMC Butchers was established in 2018 when farmers John and Helen Bell bought a former newsagent’s in Reeth Road, Richmond, and converted it into a butcher’s shop selling the meat reared on their two farms at Newton le Willows and Tunstall Road Farm, near Catterick.
The Covid pandemic was the spur to increase sales online and develop a new website and delivery operation.
The butchery business is run by fellow director Robert Hendrix who previously was head of catering at Newcastle United Football Club. The farms are looked after by farm manager Megan Mulholland and Assistant Livestock Manager Kate Carnegie-Brown.
John Bell said the TMC team had been delighted to welcome Rishi to Manor Farm to see some of their stock and the product range.
He added: “We were very proud to show Rishi our farm and butchery which we run hand in hand in Richmondshire and would like to thank him for showing support to the local farming community."
The company received three Great Taste Awards in 2024 for its rump and sirloin steaks and Berkshire pork chops and just this year a two-star award for its bone broth.
The company offers free local delivery on all orders over £40 to customers in the DL and HG postcodes plus free nationwide delivery on orders over £75. Its website is at tunstallmeatcompany.co.uk.
