0:00:02 > 0:00:05'These are tough times for Northern Ireland's small farms and rural businesses.'
0:00:05 > 0:00:07Am I talking to an accountant that's gone all soft?
0:00:07 > 0:00:08'I'm Nick Hewer,
0:00:08 > 0:00:11'and once again I'm returning to my Northern Irish roots...'
0:00:11 > 0:00:14This is my country, what are you doing here?!
0:00:14 > 0:00:17I've never heard of Ballyclare!
0:00:17 > 0:00:20'..to help these small farms and rural businesses diversify.'
0:00:20 > 0:00:23- You're not supposed to cross your feet!- Oh, Spiderman!
0:00:23 > 0:00:26I may not be an expert in their line of business,
0:00:26 > 0:00:29but I've been knocking around with some of Britain's biggest
0:00:29 > 0:00:33money-makers and they've given me a nose for profit.
0:00:33 > 0:00:35A couple of pounds matters nothing!
0:00:35 > 0:00:38You don't understand the value of what you've actually got to sell.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40'There needs to be a reality check.'
0:00:40 > 0:00:45You deal with the horse, shoot the horse yourself.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47That's where I come in.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59We're off to see Mike Frazer, he's only been farming for four years,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02but already he's won some awards for his Dexter beef.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06But what's the point of awards if you're not making any money?
0:01:06 > 0:01:09And money is something Mike Frazer knows a lot about, having
0:01:09 > 0:01:13made his fortune in Africa and Asia as an accountant and entrepreneur.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17He returned to Northern Ireland four years ago acquiring three farms
0:01:17 > 0:01:20comprising 450 acres.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25Collectively they're now Bruce's Hill. He's built his reputation
0:01:25 > 0:01:28with Aberdeen Angus, Belted Galloway and Dexters, but after two
0:01:28 > 0:01:32harsh winters, the market for breeding stock has tumbled...
0:01:32 > 0:01:35Our big hope was that we would sell some of our pedigree bulls.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38We won a lot of championships with them,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41but we went to sell at a time when farmers didn't really want to buy,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44because they didn't want stock in for the winter.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47So with no revenue from his pedigree cattle, Mike's sole income
0:01:47 > 0:01:51is from his own farm shop on the outskirts of Ballymena.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54We're now at a stage where we have to make a few decisions about
0:01:54 > 0:01:56whether we can keep going at this scale or
0:01:56 > 0:01:58whether we maybe need to scale down.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11- Hello, Nick, how are you?- How are you?- Very well thank you.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- Good, I've got all my stuff.- Right. - We can get down to business.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Do you want to go and see some Dexters?
0:02:16 > 0:02:18- Thank you, please, can't wait. - Come ahead.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22No time for tea and comfort, I need to come face to face
0:02:22 > 0:02:24with Mike's cash cow.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29So these are your little Dexters, I'm amazed at how small they are!
0:02:29 > 0:02:31These actually are the show Dexters.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33The Dexters for the beef are slightly bigger.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36So these are the sort of model farm cattle really,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40- they're the pretty ones? - Traditionally these would have been kept in smallholdings
0:02:40 > 0:02:41throughout Ireland.
0:02:41 > 0:02:42Our Dexters, in particular,
0:02:42 > 0:02:46because they run on our hill farm, on the traditional rougher ground,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48they actually have a bit more flavour.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52So you're saying that the taste is particularly special
0:02:52 > 0:02:55and you can get a premium price for the Dexter taste.
0:02:55 > 0:02:59This is a specialist beef that you will pay extra money for.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02You pay a premium, because it's a smaller animal.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05So per kilo, Dexter gets a better price,
0:03:05 > 0:03:07gives you a better margin and greater profit?
0:03:07 > 0:03:11Big bucks in theory, but only if you're selling.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15So your show Dexters look a bit of a hobby to me.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18The thing is, for years you were a successful accountant
0:03:18 > 0:03:22in Africa, Bangladesh and all the rest of it, you've been in farming
0:03:22 > 0:03:25half an hour, so who's actually running this on a day-to-day basis?
0:03:25 > 0:03:27The guy's name is Stephen Buick. He's the farm manager.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29- Where is he?- He's down at the other farm at Edenvale.
0:03:29 > 0:03:33- Take me to him. - Absolutely. Come ahead, come ahead.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Mike's invested heavily in his three farms.
0:03:37 > 0:03:38At Edenvale, he's built a roundhouse,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41the only one of its kind in Northern Ireland.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46It's designed to keep cattle stress free and guarantee meat quality.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49- So this is Steve. - Pleased to meet you.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51- You're running things? - I try my best, yes.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Cos after all, Mike's only been farming for half an hour, hasn't he?
0:03:54 > 0:03:57He's very much an amateur in the farming world.
0:03:57 > 0:04:00And this is your expensive roundhouse. What are these?
0:04:00 > 0:04:02These are some of the pedigree Angus.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06This young bull here, his mother won Balmoral Show last year,
0:04:06 > 0:04:08the girl beside him got third.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12So how many of these do you sell through your shop each week?
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Roughly we're stepping up slightly to near five,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17but it's been basically three per week.
0:04:17 > 0:04:20At the moment you're selling all the beef you've got through the shop
0:04:20 > 0:04:23but in order to make a profit, you have to sell about ten,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- is that right? - If we can't get that kind of numbers
0:04:25 > 0:04:28going through the shop, we'll have to look for another outlet
0:04:28 > 0:04:32and they're going to have to take a normal price through the market.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33- Which is a lower price?- Yes.
0:04:33 > 0:04:37So this is a beef-rearing venture and you need to make some money.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42By all accounts, Mike seems to be doing everything he can
0:04:42 > 0:04:46to make the farm viable. So where is he going wrong?
0:04:48 > 0:04:51The cattle were prize-winning, but what of his one outlet?
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Would it get any awards?
0:04:53 > 0:04:57Time to meet Mike's butcher, Colin, the man at the cutting edge.
0:04:58 > 0:05:01So, Colin, nearly a year since you started?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03What's the footfall like now?
0:05:03 > 0:05:06We don't have massive numbers of customers coming through
0:05:06 > 0:05:09the shop, but what we do have, we have people who come and spend
0:05:09 > 0:05:12more than your average customer would spend through the week,
0:05:12 > 0:05:15maybe £20, £25. Whereas other shops, it's £8 to £10.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17In the average week, forget Christmas,
0:05:17 > 0:05:18what would your turnover be?
0:05:18 > 0:05:22We'd do between, say, six and seven thousand pounds.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26But if you had an opportunity to start all over again, is this
0:05:26 > 0:05:30- where you'd plonk this farm shop? - I honestly don't know. Location is everything,
0:05:30 > 0:05:34and there's a whole lot better locations. At the time
0:05:34 > 0:05:37when we were looking at this place, we thought it was the right place.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41- Look at all those cups and rosettes! Obviously the beef's good.- Yeah.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44- Which is the best seller? - Rib eye steak and sirloin steaks.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47- Dexter?- Probably the Angus commercial beef would be
0:05:47 > 0:05:49- the better seller.- Dexter's not so hot? It's pricey.
0:05:49 > 0:05:51It's pricey and it's a narrower customer base.
0:05:51 > 0:05:53It's an acquired taste.
0:05:53 > 0:05:58- Two little hurdles, it's expensive and it's an acquired taste.- Uh-huh.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Well, I think I'll take a Dexter fillet, no wait,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03I'll take two, because they're quite small.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Mike's shop might not be in the right location
0:06:06 > 0:06:10and with lunch sorted, I need to find out if there IS money in meat,
0:06:10 > 0:06:14particularly Dexters. Time to meet Peter Hannan,
0:06:14 > 0:06:17one of the major figures in the meat industry.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21What is it, I wonder, that makes him so very successful?
0:06:21 > 0:06:25His outlet is out in Moira, but has a weekly average of
0:06:25 > 0:06:282,000 customers, so it can't just be about location.
0:06:28 > 0:06:33The thing is, Peter, whichever way I turn, they're talking about you!
0:06:33 > 0:06:35You're stuck out here in Moira, if I may put it that way
0:06:35 > 0:06:40but people come in hoards to buy your product, why?
0:06:40 > 0:06:43- Is it just down to price? - Price is very important to me
0:06:43 > 0:06:44and I'm sure it's very important
0:06:44 > 0:06:48to you. Nobody likes to give any more than they need to, but we have
0:06:48 > 0:06:53seen a move in the food industry, where quality is the primary focus.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55You've got to have something spectacular.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57If you want to charge somebody a decent price for it,
0:06:57 > 0:07:00you've got to give them fair value for their money.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02- Is there money in meat? - You've got to innovate
0:07:02 > 0:07:05and you daren't take your eye off the ball at all, Nick.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08It's a tough business, we have seen lots of people come and go
0:07:08 > 0:07:11in this business. If you don't do it right, you know, it's a short life.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Peter sources, butchers and packages rare
0:07:15 > 0:07:19breeds from across Northern Ireland, but one thing is missing.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21So you're bringing in the native breeds,
0:07:21 > 0:07:23what about the Dexter? That's an old Irish breed.
0:07:23 > 0:07:27We've never aspired to do the Dexters, somebody else's game
0:07:27 > 0:07:28but not ours.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32So Dexter's somebody else's game. Mike's hoping it's his.
0:07:32 > 0:07:36He's confident of its quality, consistency and profitability.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39I like meat well enough, but I'm no connoisseur,
0:07:39 > 0:07:44so I've invited along three culinary experts to taste Mike's product,
0:07:44 > 0:07:46to see whether it's got what it takes
0:07:46 > 0:07:49to turn him into the face of meat.
0:08:00 > 0:08:01I've spent all day with Mike
0:08:01 > 0:08:06and the one word that keeps coming out is Dexter, Dexter, Dexter.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08It's a beautiful animal, small, quaint, but at the end of the
0:08:08 > 0:08:12day as a restaurateur, for me to put it on the plate to my customers,
0:08:12 > 0:08:16it all has to be cost effective and that's the downside of Dexter.
0:08:16 > 0:08:19Northern Irish people really do expect value for money
0:08:19 > 0:08:20especially in the current climate.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Two years ago there was a novelty factor to Dexter. There was
0:08:24 > 0:08:27also the snob value of be able to say, well, actually, I've eaten
0:08:27 > 0:08:31Dexter, but yesterday in the middle of Belfast I had Dexter burger.
0:08:32 > 0:08:34So, guys, this is the sirloin steaks.
0:08:34 > 0:08:39Here we have the Belted Galloway and then we have the Aberdeen Angus
0:08:39 > 0:08:43- and here we have the Dexter Sirloin steak.- At last! Dexter!
0:08:43 > 0:08:48'I'm rather hoping good things DO come in small packages.'
0:08:48 > 0:08:51It tastes delicious! It really does taste beautiful.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53Will it find its way to your restaurant at these prices?
0:08:53 > 0:08:57It has to be priced at the quantity at the same time,
0:08:57 > 0:09:00because it is, compared to other steaks it IS still very, very small.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02You know? Imagine if I was going to go fillet or imagine
0:09:02 > 0:09:05I was going to go for the rib eye? That would be even smaller again.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08It's such an immediately accessible kind of meat,
0:09:08 > 0:09:12there's nothing weird, there's nothing funny about the taste.
0:09:12 > 0:09:14My mouth is watering, absolutely watering. It's delicious.
0:09:14 > 0:09:15Which one is this?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18That's the Belted Galloway. It's much bigger, of course.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22It's softer, a more tender meat and you can see, this is the Dexter,
0:09:22 > 0:09:25you can just see the difference between the Dexter and the Belted
0:09:25 > 0:09:29Galloway, there's a darker hue to that, almost purplish in colour.
0:09:29 > 0:09:31That's a much more tender cut,
0:09:31 > 0:09:36but the flavour isn't nearly as intense as the Dexter.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Well, what about the third fellow?
0:09:38 > 0:09:41I mean, this meat here, is nowhere near as good as the rest
0:09:41 > 0:09:43and definitely not as good as the Dexter.
0:09:43 > 0:09:44'So Dexter shines through.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48'Perhaps Mike's hobbyhorse is a frontrunner after all?
0:09:48 > 0:09:50'But there's no time for pudding.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53'Mike has another product to promote.'
0:09:53 > 0:09:57So this is the potato roussel with turf-smoked chuck of beef.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00Mike's taken a local oat and potato bread recipe
0:10:00 > 0:10:03and sandwiched into it some of his pulled beef.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06He's calling it a roussel meat slider.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09From here, it looks a bit like a sort of a damp burger.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12It doesn't really look appealing to me, to be honest.
0:10:12 > 0:10:14- That's the only problem with it. - Immediately, you look at it,
0:10:14 > 0:10:18you don't know what it is. I don't think it's the most attractive thing
0:10:18 > 0:10:20in the world. It's brown, Nick, it's very brown!
0:10:20 > 0:10:23It's actually beautifully braised. For such a beautiful
0:10:23 > 0:10:24bit of meat, why braise it?
0:10:24 > 0:10:27You know, I mean that's only a market through the winter.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I think that everyone is being very sniffy about this.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32First of all, it's not to be eaten with a knife and fork,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36it's clearly meant to be eaten like this.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39There's a ratio problem, maybe, there's an awful lot of meat there
0:10:39 > 0:10:42to potato bread, but the whole movement towards dirty food,
0:10:42 > 0:10:45street food, that's exactly where this fits in.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Well, that's fascinating and you've given me
0:10:47 > 0:10:51so much to ponder, it's frightening.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53'It was time to digest the facts
0:10:53 > 0:10:57'and deliver the plan to save Mike's rural empire.'
0:10:57 > 0:11:03Now the only route to market, currently, is in your farm shop.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07- What slightly alarmed me was that footfall was light.- Right.
0:11:07 > 0:11:12But if the market's not coming to you, why don't we go to the market?
0:11:12 > 0:11:15New shops, portable shops, shops on four wheels. You know
0:11:15 > 0:11:18- how they do it France and Germany and Italy?- Yes, yes, yes.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21And they have these beautiful vehicles and the driver
0:11:21 > 0:11:24gets round, gets in the back, opens it up, he flaps
0:11:24 > 0:11:29down a counter, he pops up a roof, he rings a bell and people come.
0:11:29 > 0:11:32So they don't have to drive all the way to your shop.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Bruce's Hill Mobile Butchers will visit your town.
0:11:35 > 0:11:40- I think there are logistics issues with the vans.- Like what?
0:11:40 > 0:11:44I'm not sure that you can just sail up into a town centre, unfold your van.
0:11:44 > 0:11:47There must be some licensing thing, there must be something.
0:11:47 > 0:11:51Possibly. OK, let's turn to Dexters. Colin in the shop said, Dexters,
0:11:51 > 0:11:57great beef, but it's too expensive and it's an acquired taste.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Let's be realistic. Here in the North, there simply isn't the money.
0:12:01 > 0:12:03- So what about export?- OK.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Let's go where the money is - the big money is.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08We're not going off to New York at the moment,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11we're not going to Paris, we're not going to Tokyo. We'll go to London.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13- Yeah.- It'll have a handsome price against it,
0:12:13 > 0:12:15but it's something special
0:12:15 > 0:12:18and I think they'd make a song and dance about it.
0:12:18 > 0:12:21Now let's turn now to your roussel.
0:12:21 > 0:12:27It was a hit. Particularly with Joris. He said this is street food.
0:12:27 > 0:12:31- Right.- He said maybe the proportions are not quite right,
0:12:31 > 0:12:34- it looks to me as though it's got too much meat in there.- Right.
0:12:34 > 0:12:39He said, I think this is a delicious dish, and it's yours - go sell it!
0:12:39 > 0:12:43- Yeah. We'll go for that! - So fired up by my proposals,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45Mike gathers his team to plough
0:12:45 > 0:12:48through a packed agenda and rally the workforce,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51before heading off on vacation for four weeks!
0:12:51 > 0:12:53What Nick has done is given us a jag in the backside
0:12:53 > 0:12:56and we're basically going to go for it, OK?
0:12:56 > 0:12:58We're going to go for this, big time!
0:12:58 > 0:13:01The big idea that came from Nick was the roussel. It was
0:13:01 > 0:13:03immediately spotted as potential for street food,
0:13:03 > 0:13:07so we have to pursue how we're going to get this out as street food,
0:13:07 > 0:13:12and as a very upmarket... No, we're not a chip van here, above that, OK?
0:13:12 > 0:13:15This is basically sort of setting out what a roussel is
0:13:15 > 0:13:17and we're calling it a roussel meat slider.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20If we can think of better names, please do!
0:13:20 > 0:13:23Nick's big idea was that we would we would actually go
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and do mobile butchers round different towns.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28I don't know how feasible that is, but there are markets,
0:13:28 > 0:13:31so it might be those rather than going round towns
0:13:31 > 0:13:33and if we've got the vehicle to do it, that's fine.
0:13:33 > 0:13:35You tear away at it. If you want to be involved in that,
0:13:35 > 0:13:38and the whole set-up of this whole street thing - fine, go for it.
0:13:38 > 0:13:43So that's everyone up to speed, optimistic and content.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47My only fear would be we may create our own monster.
0:13:47 > 0:13:50We can't just produce cattle at the drop of a hat.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53We're certainly OK in the Angus and we've enough Angus
0:13:53 > 0:13:57standing in our own farm to deal with the Angus demand, if it rises.
0:13:57 > 0:14:02The Dexters - a wee bit of concern. It depends on how soon it kicks off.
0:14:02 > 0:14:04And it could take off sooner than he thinks.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08With the boss away, farm manager Stephen shows two leading
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Belfast restaurateurs around the farm.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15They thrive a lot better in here. They are very content.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17All the breeds theses guys are rearing
0:14:17 > 0:14:19and putting to slaughter would suit us
0:14:19 > 0:14:24and we're interested in using nose to tail using the braising cuts,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28using the flank, using the whole carcass and then trying to use our
0:14:28 > 0:14:31own skills to put that on the plate. Just like they used to do years ago.
0:14:31 > 0:14:33It's absolutely amazing, amazing breed
0:14:33 > 0:14:34and beautiful looking animal as well.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36Making me hungry!
0:14:44 > 0:14:48Three months later, I'm back in Belfast to catch up with Andy
0:14:48 > 0:14:49on his home turf.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Cleary, Andy, Mike's been working hard,
0:14:52 > 0:14:55because he's got his Dexter beef into your restaurant.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57He could have struck gold,
0:14:57 > 0:15:00but have you struck gold by buying the Dexter from him?
0:15:00 > 0:15:04The Dexter on the menu here has went down a treat, it eats great.
0:15:04 > 0:15:07The marbling of fat through Dexter when it cooks is unique.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09And because it's a small little beast,
0:15:09 > 0:15:11you don't need to age it as much.
0:15:11 > 0:15:14If you age it too much, it gets slightly gamey, but it cooks up
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and sometimes you cut the meat it's like cutting butter,
0:15:17 > 0:15:20- it's absolutely melt in your mouth. - But Dexter's expensive.
0:15:20 > 0:15:22Does it sit well on your menu?
0:15:22 > 0:15:24It's pricey, it's a quality piece of meat,
0:15:24 > 0:15:28but I think you find that people are coming here because they know
0:15:28 > 0:15:32that the vegetables, the fish and especially now the meat is quality.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35- Yeah.- And they're willing to pay a premium price for it.
0:15:35 > 0:15:38So the Dexter IS a cash cow after all.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41Time to meet it's leading disciple, Mike.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47So listen, I've just been up to Andy and you've got a big fan there,
0:15:47 > 0:15:50- I tell you. He loves the Dexter, he loves YOU actually!- Well...!
0:15:50 > 0:15:52He loves the Galloway, he loves the Angus.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- Well, I'm an acquired taste! - Well you're both obviously
0:15:55 > 0:15:56passionate about what you do
0:15:56 > 0:15:58and he loves what he's got in the restaurant,
0:15:58 > 0:16:01but there's another side to the business because he's sort of,
0:16:01 > 0:16:06I guess, taking the Dexter, taking your meat from Bruce's Hill...
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Yeah, yeah.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11..out to a different market. Now we're both quite clear that
0:16:11 > 0:16:14Bruce's Hill, the farm shop, is not in the best location.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16No, it's limited.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18OK. So if you're not in the right location, you go
0:16:18 > 0:16:19and find the location.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23And the way you do that is on four wheels and what happened there then?
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Well, what we did is we found this guy and he makes
0:16:26 > 0:16:28a lot of these vehicles, so we actually went to him with the
0:16:28 > 0:16:31overall concept and he's managed to make us a vehicle that does both.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34We can have a butcher's counter in it, we can take the butcher's
0:16:34 > 0:16:38counter out and we can use it as a street vehicle as well.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42And he's actually building the van for us as we speak. He's building it
0:16:42 > 0:16:46to us and that's a rough concept of what the van's going to look like.
0:16:46 > 0:16:48Brilliant stuff.
0:16:48 > 0:16:51OK, let's put the street food to one side. What we were talking
0:16:51 > 0:16:54about is you've got your farm shop, you've got all these villages
0:16:54 > 0:16:59without butchers and then we're going to take this to the villages.
0:16:59 > 0:17:01What's happening on that front then?
0:17:01 > 0:17:03What we're actually going to do is more the agricultural shows.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Every Saturday there's an agricultural show where
0:17:06 > 0:17:08- there will be... - That's street food.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10No, no, the butchers as well. The butchers as well.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13We're going to do the butcher's counter and the street food.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16This is what our food tastes like - you like that, you can take
0:17:16 > 0:17:19it home and here's the butcher's counter right beside us.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22'OK, so Mike's running with the food trailer
0:17:22 > 0:17:25'but I've another challenge for him.'
0:17:25 > 0:17:27So I've got something for you.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30We've fixed up one of the great restaurants in London - not
0:17:30 > 0:17:33only one of the great restaurants in London - one of the most
0:17:33 > 0:17:37fashionable restaurants in London, 34, part of the Caprice Group.
0:17:37 > 0:17:42There is no smarter, more upmarket group of restaurants in London
0:17:42 > 0:17:45- than the Caprice Group, all right? - Yes.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48And you're going to be talking to the executive chef of that
0:17:48 > 0:17:53whole group and let me tell you, let me tell you, you make it good.
0:17:53 > 0:17:56Don't make me a mug in Mayfair, will you?
0:17:58 > 0:18:01It's not all suede loafers and Savile Row suits just yet.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05Mike's got three farms to run, a pitch to prepare
0:18:05 > 0:18:07and meat to package before departure.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Will his product travel?
0:18:11 > 0:18:15The discerning diners of London's Mayfair seek exclusivity
0:18:15 > 0:18:19and quality and they're prepared to pay a premium price for it.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24Can Mike's Dexters cut it in a world of Martinis and Michelin stars?
0:18:24 > 0:18:25Well it's D-day for Dexter.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28I'm on my way to restaurant 34 here in the heart of Mayfair,
0:18:28 > 0:18:32one of the Caprice Group's great restaurants and Mike's going
0:18:32 > 0:18:37to pitch his Dexter beef to the executive chef Tim Hughes.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40I've pulled in a favour here. He'd better not let me down.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47- Hi, Tim, very nice to meet you. Thank you for seeing me.- Pleasure.
0:18:47 > 0:18:49I'd just like to tell you a wee bit about what we are doing
0:18:49 > 0:18:51and what we are trying to do at Bruce's Hill.
0:18:51 > 0:18:54So we've established a really good herd of cattle,
0:18:54 > 0:18:57probably some of the best cattle, we think, in the UK.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01The Angus, we bought a lot of really high quality stuff in Scotland,
0:19:01 > 0:19:04but our main focus is the Dexters. They're a smaller carcass.
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Because they're a smaller carcass, we were a wee bit
0:19:07 > 0:19:11concerned of actually getting you a steak of a size that you wanted but
0:19:11 > 0:19:15we've cut it to the right size here and hopefully you'll like the taste.
0:19:15 > 0:19:17- Sounds great. We need to try it. - Thank you very much.
0:19:17 > 0:19:19Frankly, Mike's pitch was lacklustre.
0:19:19 > 0:19:23Perhaps Mayfair isn't his milieu after all.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25As he awaits judgment in the restaurant,
0:19:25 > 0:19:29I hope that in the busy kitchen, his meat will do the talking for him.
0:19:31 > 0:19:32I heard the pitch.
0:19:32 > 0:19:36Not that compelling, but I guess the proof's in the pudding, as it were.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39So this is the product. These are the Dexters, yeah?
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Yeah, that's the Dexter. I mean, that's the sirloin.
0:19:41 > 0:19:46- And that's the rib eye.- Yeah. - Well, the first impressions,
0:19:46 > 0:19:50it's a very small eye - which we call it an eye, which is the actual
0:19:50 > 0:19:51eye of the meat.
0:19:51 > 0:19:55Some people like a big steak, cos a lot of the steaks
0:19:55 > 0:19:59- we get are a crossbreed. But this is a pure breed.- Yeah.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02And this is what he's pitching is the pure Dexter beef,
0:20:02 > 0:20:04so the eye will be smaller.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07I mean, we do have some meat from like Argentina, which is
0:20:07 > 0:20:10a pure breed, and the form is very small, as well, like that.
0:20:10 > 0:20:14I mean, basically, rather than dragging it across the Atlantic
0:20:14 > 0:20:16it might be better just to bring it across the Irish Sea?
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Food miles and all that sort of stuff.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- So is the proof in the eating? - Oh, yeah, definitely.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23- Are we going to cook it?- Oh, yeah. - Can I have some?- Yeah,
0:20:23 > 0:20:25- course you can.- Brilliant.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29So it's cost,
0:20:29 > 0:20:32- flavour...- Quality.
0:20:32 > 0:20:33..consistency of supply,
0:20:33 > 0:20:36- consistency of quality? - Yeah.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39I mean, how many covers have you got here?
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Here we've got about 100 seats.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43So if you were to take the Dexter, how much would you need
0:20:43 > 0:20:45a week, do you reckon?
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Roughly, probably about 40 kilos of eye, 40 kilos of sirloin.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52So you'd want 40 of... that's 80 kilos.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54How many Dexters can provide that?
0:20:54 > 0:20:58I reckon I would probably work it out between 12 to 15 Dexters a week.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01You'd have to slaughter 15 Dexters a week?
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Yeah. People are very surprised that to get a rib-eye steak...
0:21:04 > 0:21:08- You only get two whole rib eyes from one animal.- Yeah.
0:21:08 > 0:21:13But hold on! 10 to 15, 12 to 15 animals slaughtered a week,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16that's 500, 750 a year.
0:21:16 > 0:21:21- Yeah. - That could be a problem.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25Crunch time now - the taste test.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28First to the pass, the Dexter rib eye.
0:21:30 > 0:21:33This is what? Medium rare, would you say? Mmm-hm!
0:21:37 > 0:21:39What do you think of it?
0:21:39 > 0:21:42- I think I could have a problem with that.- Yeah.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44- It's got a lot of pull on it. - Pull is what?
0:21:44 > 0:21:45Chewy, slightly tough.
0:21:45 > 0:21:50I want to try the sirloin now. I'll take from the middle.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51Give Paul a bit. Paul?
0:21:57 > 0:21:59- That's a lot better. - A lot better.
0:21:59 > 0:22:04- Is it?- Yeah.- And yet, traditionally, that would be a more tender cut?
0:22:04 > 0:22:06That's interesting. So what does that tell us?
0:22:06 > 0:22:09Ageing. How it's killed in the abattoir.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- That's it then, is it? Both of you say the rib is out.- No.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14- What about the sirloin? - The sirloin, I'd try that.
0:22:14 > 0:22:18- You would?- Yeah. I'm not saying I wouldn't try the rib eye.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20- I'd try again. - There's a question mark now.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22Yeah. There's a doubt in my mind.
0:22:22 > 0:22:27- I'll leave you to tell him what's what.- Yeah.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32That's pitch imperfect and product inconsistent.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36Would Mike be able to shed any light on this meat muddle?
0:22:36 > 0:22:42- Well how was it? - Yeah, um, bit of a mixed bag really.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45- Right.- The sirloin was very good. Nice and tender, good flavour,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47and the guys all agreed it was good.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51But the rib eye for me, it was tough and for me
0:22:51 > 0:22:52that would be a massive problem.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56I can't afford to send a steak out for it to come back,
0:22:56 > 0:22:59so I can't use that rib eye.
0:22:59 > 0:23:03It could be just the way it was brought across in hand luggage
0:23:03 > 0:23:05and whatever else, but we could maybe
0:23:05 > 0:23:07get some more to you, if you want?
0:23:07 > 0:23:13Well, I mean, I would have to seriously test it before I am
0:23:13 > 0:23:15- confident to put the rib eye on. - OK.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19Not yet the high-end endorsement Mike was seeking for his Dexters,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23but undeterred he ploughs on with his street food trailer
0:23:23 > 0:23:26and forges new links with Food NI.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Mike, thanks very much for coming in to see us today
0:23:29 > 0:23:32because we'd really like to talk to you about opportunities to
0:23:32 > 0:23:35have Bruce's Hill at the World Police and Fire Games,
0:23:35 > 0:23:37which are coming to Northern Ireland this August.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40We really would like to have local food producers
0:23:40 > 0:23:41profiled at the games.
0:23:41 > 0:23:46We've now developed this street food trailer and we're actually profiling
0:23:46 > 0:23:49our own beef, our Dexter beef from Northern Ireland and roussel,
0:23:49 > 0:23:52which is this sort of potato oaten bread, so you can't really get
0:23:52 > 0:23:57more local than potato oaten bread, so it all seems to fit very well.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00So with the trailer under way and the launch venue secured,
0:24:00 > 0:24:03Mike turns his attention to master butcher John Mettrick
0:24:03 > 0:24:08in an attempt to correct some of the Caprice Group's concerns.
0:24:08 > 0:24:10Well, it's a good size unit.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12I think you've got enough room to work with in here.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15What you're going to need in here, really, is a hanging fridge.
0:24:15 > 0:24:17And you're going to need like a working fridge.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19From what I've seen of your set-up at the moment,
0:24:19 > 0:24:22you've got like a fridge that you are using for both,
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and it's not ideal that, really, because you've got people
0:24:24 > 0:24:26coming in and out of the fridge all of the time
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and the temperature is going up, the moisture is going into the fridge
0:24:29 > 0:24:32and that's not ideal conditions for hanging the beef.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35You've got some beautiful beef, no doubt about it, I just think
0:24:35 > 0:24:38it might give you that bit of an edge and improve your product
0:24:38 > 0:24:42still further, if you could separate the hanging from the working area.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Well, that helps explain some of the problems we've had with
0:24:45 > 0:24:48restaurants saying our meat is very good, but it's a wee bit tough.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51This will help eliminate some of these issues.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55Seven months ago, Mike declared that he needed to sell ten cattle
0:24:55 > 0:24:58a week for Bruce's Hill to survive.
0:24:58 > 0:25:01I'm back to see if he's realised his ambition.
0:25:06 > 0:25:07Hello, Mike. How are you?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- I'm very well, Nick. You're very welcome.- Excellent.
0:25:12 > 0:25:17So, Mike, I know that later on we're going to see the street food launch,
0:25:17 > 0:25:21but coming back to your own farm shop, what's the story there?
0:25:21 > 0:25:22Farm shop is,
0:25:22 > 0:25:26it's what we needed for getting the beef ready for the trade beef,
0:25:26 > 0:25:28but we think we're also going to open up,
0:25:28 > 0:25:32we're definitely going to open up a pop-up shop in Belfast at least.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34And what about other retail outlets?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37We're now in three restaurants. We're in Home. You've met Andy,
0:25:37 > 0:25:41we're in Home. We're in Magherafelt and our latest one is a new
0:25:41 > 0:25:44restaurant in Donegore, which is about three miles from here,
0:25:44 > 0:25:45a very upmarket restaurant.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48So this afternoon, we launch the trailer
0:25:48 > 0:25:50but you've had some dry runs quietly.
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- How did they go?- Very, very well. - Where did you go?
0:25:53 > 0:25:55We went to the National Show at Balmoral with it
0:25:55 > 0:25:58and we had a fantastic time there.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01We're not up to the ten cows we wanted yet.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04On the week of Balmoral Show, we hit nine, which was good.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07With the Police and Fire Games, we're probably about six or seven.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10So an increase in productivity then.
0:26:10 > 0:26:14I hope Mike's Dexter burgers go down a treat at the 2013 World Police
0:26:14 > 0:26:18and Fire Games in Belfast, where he is officially launching
0:26:18 > 0:26:21the Bruce's Hill food trailer.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Look at this.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28'Mike's bespoke combi-trailer had a hefty price tag of £20,000.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30'I hope it's a sound investment.'
0:26:30 > 0:26:32This part here can turn into a butcher's counter.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34We can put the butchers into it or we can run it
0:26:34 > 0:26:36completely as a street food vehicle.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38But today, it's a street food vehicle?
0:26:38 > 0:26:40- Today it's a street food vehicle.- What are we selling?
0:26:40 > 0:26:43We've got our roundhouse burger, our Dexter burger
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and a hot beef sandwich and those are the popular...
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- Those are the popular things. - Tell me this about the Dexter.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Because this all started off with Dexter, all those months ago.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55And here we are now selling Dexter burgers at how much? Four quid?
0:26:55 > 0:26:58£4. It's been very successful.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01People have tasted it and then gone and bought the Dexter meat,
0:27:01 > 0:27:03which is really what we wanted to happen.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06So, there's a great old margin then between the shop price
0:27:06 > 0:27:09and the sort of retail cooked price?
0:27:09 > 0:27:13Yes, there is, but there are a few costs. But it's still worthwhile.
0:27:13 > 0:27:17Not wishing to block profit, I stand back for the official launch.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Michele Shirlow of Food NI cuts the ribbon.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23CHEERING
0:27:23 > 0:27:27The pulled beef and Dexter burgers are going down a storm,
0:27:27 > 0:27:30but what about our old friend the roussel?
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Food critic Joris Minne, the inspiration for Mike's street food
0:27:33 > 0:27:38endeavours has called by to taste the new reincarnated version.
0:27:38 > 0:27:42Now you're the expert. What do you think?
0:27:42 > 0:27:46- Too spicy?- No, it's not too spicy but it's a bit masculine.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48- It's very manly.- You think this would, the blokes would like this?
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Yeah, definitely. I think it needs a dip.
0:27:51 > 0:27:54It's a wee bit dry, just something wet, like mustard or a sauce
0:27:54 > 0:27:58or something, but it's very, very good. It's very wholesome.
0:27:58 > 0:28:02People don't know what to call it - a roussel, a rissole?
0:28:02 > 0:28:05I agree, it's an educational task there, isn't there?
0:28:05 > 0:28:09- Yeah, but it is, it's lovely, it's a lovely taste of Ulster.- Good.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17My initial thought was perhaps Mike was a bit of a hobbyist. He loves
0:28:17 > 0:28:20his little Dexter cattle, new to farming, perhaps a little big naive.
0:28:20 > 0:28:25But he's a businessman and his business brain is shining through.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27There's no holding him back now.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd