‘Meat should be a luxury’ – Alison Mitchell chats to Northern Cure

Doug and Alex of Manchester-based Northern Cure.

The global meat industry is currently worth over $1 trillion. Despite growing awareness in sustainability and meat-free diets, the worldwide demand continues to escalate and, accordingly, this number will rise as it has steadily for the last 50 years. 

While a cursory internet search on the meat industry will bombard the reader with articles proclaiming the ‘shocking secrets revealed’, ‘the violence and suffering’ and other emotive language, there is an argument to support sustainable, ethical movements in the meat industry rather than abandoning meat altogether. As with most debates, meat consumption is not an argument of stark opposites. Furthermore, to ensure nature is preserved we must address the alternative options which are straddling the fence: regenerative farming methods, reducing our reliance on supermarkets, and supporting local, ethical businesses. 

One such business is Northern Cure. The Manchester-based duo, Doug, a chef, and Alex, who trained as a butcher, have tried their hand at curing meat, developing kits for aspiring charcutiers to make their own bacon and duck prosciutto at home. 

The results have been a fantastic success, with the pair starting their Nose to Tail supper clubs, and with more exciting plans for this year. ‘The kits have sold amazingly well, we weren’t prepared for how well they’ve done!’ says Doug, ‘They really deliver on flavour, so I think when people have done it once they’re more inclined to do it again because they’ll think, I made that, and it tastes amazing.’ 

Northern Cure proudly specialise in British meat. They describe themselves as ‘British charcuterie with a Mancunian accent’, leaving us in little doubt that their first concern is local. Sourcing produce from local suppliers and educating themselves on the processes of farming and butchery has granted them a thoughtful insight into the industry. ‘We became interested in charcuterie and I thought, I don’t want to be in a position where I’m doing well but it’s at the cost of something ethical,’ says Doug. 

Charcuterie is an ancient practice of meat preservation which has been passed down through the generations. Although Britain’s tradition is sustained by our charcutiers, and the public’s interest is growing, our knowledge is limited to the plastic supermarket sachets which simply don’t do justice to the real stick of mould-covered cured meat. These packets scream the ‘processed’ taboo and the glaring red wheel indicates its sinfulness.

“‘Charcuterie is a homemade thing and it’s not in our tradition. It’s European, not really British,’ says Doug matter-of-factly, ‘we consume it in almost an American way.’”

Not only is this a microcosm for how we in Britain are divided by our food loyalties, but it also succinctly links to our associations of Americanisation and processed mass consumption, versus the natural, traditional methods of charcuterie production in Europe. In Spain, the tradition of la matanza – a pig slaughter ceremony – is still observed in which local villagers participate in the killing, butchery and curing to make Ibérico ham, tenderly cutting and washing every part of the animal. The respect is evident, and nothing goes to waste.

This is the tradition at the heart of charcuterie: using the whole animal. Described by American charcuterie chef, Brian Polcyn, as the ‘craft of utilisation’, charcutiers champion the nose to tail technique which Northern Cure has also adopted. ‘Charcuterie is frugal in the way it uses every bit of the animal,’ says Doug, ‘our intention is to use all the animal regardless of the demand.’ He describes a cut using the pig’s neck, and another from jowl to ear. While charcuterie is a step back to tradition, it is also a step towards the future and, in an ideal world, how we envisage all our meat to be respected and produced. 

Pigs ears, which were braised, pressed, dehydrated and fried like pork scratchings by Northern Cure for a recent supper club at Trove.

Northern Cure’s website candidly clarifies their stance on meat consumption, that they  ‘love animals, and love eating animals… the two don’t have to be mutually exclusive’, something which makes Doug ruefully laugh as it’s ‘a bit provocative’, but it’s undeniably refreshing to read. He goes on to say, ‘I toyed with the idea of going vegan but then I just think there’s a really great tradition in farming. To me it feels natural to eat meat. Rather than everyone turning their back on that, we look at how it’s done and try and do it in the best possible way.’

Undeterred by the doom and gloom littered around the meat industry these days, Doug is upbeat. ‘People seem to be more in touch with their food,’ he says as we discuss the increasing popularity of ‘Veganuary’. Due to this country’s reaction towards poor animal welfare and deforestation for animal feed, there is a rise in awareness of what people eat. In Doug’s opinion, veganism, if done correctly (in other words, ignoring the allure of the McDonald’s Veganuary menu), makes people ‘work harder and think about their diet’. Consequently there are natural health benefits instead of ‘a diet containing animal products where people are lazy with what they consume,’ he says, but ‘if you’re thinking about meat properly then I think a diet with animal products is technically more balanced.’ 

Doug is fully supportive of raising animals for us to eat. In much the same vein as The Ethical Butcher’s ‘Regenuary’ movement, Doug sees the cycle of nature, farming and meat consumption as ‘symbiotic’. ‘We’ve been to a number of pig farms that are up North and they use great farming methods, really high ethics and husbandry, and there’s no denying that the animals have a great life. The pigs even cultivate the land they’re on.’ The Northern Cure duo are now looking at new suppliers which use this holistic, regenerative method of farming in which, through rotation and pasture-grazing, the animals and nature work in harmony to restore the soil for crop growth. 

As everyday consumers, we can all agree that the convenience and cheap prices of supermarkets are appealing, whereas local suppliers are inevitably more expensive. Doug understands this but adds, ‘if you actually care about taste and the story behind the food then it’s strikingly obvious which one to go for.’ Northern Cure put the utmost care into sourcing their meat, building relationships with their suppliers and learning the processes behind rearing and farming. Doug believes that meat farming should be sustained: ‘there are so many people’s livelihoods at stake. Let’s give power back to them by supporting good farms.’ There will always be competition from the supermarkets but ‘it’s about chefs, food writers and people like us who are doing something in the industry properly. Social media has been hugely beneficial in this regard. Smaller independents can really promote every aspect of the business and all the good bits they’re doing,’ he says.

That said, the food industry is actually a debate on economics, as those on low incomes don’t have access to the luxury of thoughtfully reared meat. This raises the point that poor-quality own-brand supermarket meat will continue to be in demand. The priority for animal welfare can be perceived as an affluent, middle-class attitude which doesn’t look at the financial circumstances of those on lower incomes.

“With the amount of people in the UK who eat well and have money to spend on food, they should be driving the demand for local and in turn bringing down the price.”

We should also all be cutting down on our meat consumption. ‘Meat should be considered more of a luxury,’ he adds, noting that, as a treat, we are much more likely to spend the money it deserves through a local supplier, and then savour it. Such a movement would eventually have a knock-on effect on the supermarkets to stop selling poor-quality produce to those most in need of healthy alternatives.

Meanwhile, good but ‘out of fashion’ cuts of meat which have little or no demand are wasted. Many home cooks are eager to play their part but is the nose to tail approach unrealistic? Although we have all spent the last year honing our cookery skills, butchery and understanding the lesser-known cuts of meat is a long way off. ‘It should be demanded from the restaurant industry, then there can be a trickle-down effect,’ says Doug thoughtfully. This transparency is already demonstrated by restaurants such as St. John in London, but we need to expect it from the restaurant market as a whole. Trained chefs can show home cooks the possibilities with unknown cuts, therefore simplifying the process, and simultaneously teaching us what to expect from the food we eat.

With their curing kits, Doug and Alex are part of this movement. Doug talks about their upcoming supper club in which they hope to acquire a mangalitsa pig; ‘our next concept will be based on having this one animal and doing a whole supper club based on that,’ he says, once again surpassing expectations and showing us how the meat industry can be done properly.

Alison Mitchell is a Manchester-based chef and food writer.