English country to experience a bit of life in rural Cambridgeshire.

Only 76 km from London the city of Cambridge is in the heart of the

countryside of east England. Cambridge is well known for its university but the

area has a thriving rural as well as academic community.

In today's programme we're going to hear from one member of this community,

Michael Beaumont, a butcher from the Cambridgeshire town of Fulbourn. As

well as being a butcher he has now diversified into cattle production – what

reason does he give for this development?

Michael Beaumont

Right, I'm Michael Beaumont, I'm the local butcher in Fulbourn. About nine years ago we had

a supermarket come quite close to us and to sustain our butchery business, we've gone into

cattle production.

Callum: He moved into cattle production so he could 'sustain' the butchery business – so

he could continue the business and make it successful. A supermarket had

opened near him which was a threat to his business so he had to do something

more than just being a butcher. Listen again. 

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Michael Beaumont

About nine years ago we had a supermarket come quite close to us and to sustain our butchery

business, we've gone into cattle production.

Callum: He goes on to talk about why having his own cattle is an advantage over what

he calls the 'big boys' the supermarkets.

Michael Beaumont

Why we've survived is because we're doing something different to what the supermarkets are.

We can prove that all of our… we've got full traceability on all these cattle. They're all

locally produced etcetera. So, it's a way forward for us as a small butcher's shop competing

with the big boys.

Callum: Producing his own cattle means that the customers know the meat is locally

produced – they have full traceability – they can trace the meant to a particular

cow – essentially this means that they know exactly where the meat has come

from. This is something that you can't tell in a supermarket so as he says, it's a

way forward for them a small butcher's shop. Listen again.

Michael Beaumont

Why we've survived is because we're doing something different to what the supermarkets are.

We can prove that all of our… we've got full traceability on all these cattle. They're all

locally produced etcetera. So, it's a way forward for us as a small butcher's shop competing

with the big boys.

Callum: Michael Beaumont was brought on a farm and has farming in his blood. He

developed an interest in cattle at agricultural college and in a way although

they are competition he thinks the supermarkets have given him a chance to

become more involved in what he really loves doing. What does he say he is

passionate about? 

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Michael Beaumont Dur: 23"

With my agricultural college experience I was always interested in cattle and, in one way, the

supermarket has done me a favour because it's letting me do something else that I really like

to do. I'm passionate about both of them; I'm passionate about how the animals are raised,

what they're fed on, their welfare and also passionate about the meat I sell.

Callum: He says he is passionate about how the animals are raised – how they are fed,

cared for and looked after. He is also passionate about the meat that he sells.

Michael now introduces us to his cattle. The collective noun for cattle is 'herd'

and Michael talks about how he got his herd of Limousin cows. He says he

bought them as a present but for which celebration in his life?

Michael Beaumont Dur: 43"

These are a pedigree herd of Limousin; a small herd I've just acquired. The people who had

got them had got about three or four different herds and they wanted to get rid of this one.

So, I got this really as a 40th anniversary wedding present, but, er…, wife said 'that's a bit

different from the box of chocolates that she was going to get me' [laughter]… I think it came

as a bit of a shock for her when I told her I'd actually bought them, but, no, she's accepted

them and she likes them as much as I do.

Callum: He got the herd from another farmer who had three or four herds already and

wanted to get rid of one. To get rid of something means to not have something

anymore – so it could mean to throw something away or sell it, here it means to

sell. Michael bought the herd as a 40th wedding anniversary present! Aah, a

true romantic. How did his wife feel about this? Listen again. 

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Michael Beaumont

So, I got this really as a 40th anniversary wedding present, but, er…, wife said 'that's a bit

different from the box of chocolates that she was going to get me' [laughter]… I think it came

as a bit of a shock for her when I told her I'd actually bought them, but, no, she's accepted

them and she likes them as much as I do.

Callum: Well at first it was a bit of a shock for his wife – not quite the box of

chocolates she was expecting. But he says she doesn't really mind, she likes

them as much as he does.

Well, that's all from the Cambridgeshire countryside.