Christmas Turkeys - Your Guide to the Best Festive Bird
Christmas Turkey Facts
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It is estimated that over 10 million turkeys are eaten in the UK each Christmas.
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One third of these will be fresh and the rest frozen, and 90% are intensively farmed.
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The equivalent of 2 million turkeys will be thrown away each Christmas.
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The plastic packaging most are wrapped in is the same weight as 30 blue whales.
What is the difference between intensively reared, supermarket 'free-range', and truly free-range birds?
Intensively Reared - These turkeys are kept indoors, pumped with antibiotics to keep disease at bay, and fed a high-protein diet of genetically modified grains grown with the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, so they grow unnaturally quickly. These birds have been bred to be so heavy they are no longer able to fly or mate naturally. Beak trimming is also commonplace. This stops them from pecking at each other because they live in in such close confinement. They are typically killed at around half the age of a genuinely free-range or organic turkey. There is no limit on stocking densities but typically around 3-4 turkeys weighing 13kg live weight per 1m2. So, that’s how you can buy turkeys that start from around £13 in supermarkets. These turkeys are likely to be sold frozen and wrapped in plastic.
Supermarket 'Free-Range' - The supermarket version of ‘free-range’ doesn’t necessarily mean things are that much better, as a majority of these birds are still raised in an industrial setting. The stocking density is around half that of their battery counterparts, and while they are required to have access to the outdoors, the way they are raised and housed means that most will never venture outside. By having very large numbers of birds housed together makes it very difficult for birds to make their way outside. In this system, birds that have the potential to grow to 15kg are only taken to 5kg. That’s because this is a popular size for the Christmas table. They are processed before the bird reaches full maturity. The result is a bird that has an immature tenderness. The turkey is full of water that evaporates when cooking. When this happens the texture collapses creating that dry, tasteless sensation turkey is fast getting a reputation for. These birds will be sold frozen or fresh and wrapped in plastic.
Properly Free-Range - Getting a genuinely free-range slower-growing breed, such as a Norfolk Black, Bronze or Bourbon Red, that has been grown to full maturity creates a completely different eating experience. These birds are encouraged to go outside from around six weeks old and can forage for clover and insects to supplement their diet, which is much lower in protein. This means the bird can naturally build up muscle, which can be quite tough and is one of the reasons hanging a turkey for around 10 days is such an essential part of the farm-to-plate process. Once butchered, hanging allows the muscle fibre to break down, creating a more tender bird that still has structure. Importantly, most of the water evaporates during the hanging process, leaving flavoursome meat juices. A major important difference is that a slow-grown bird develops a hard layer of fat under the skin. This not only improves the flavour and texture, but keeps the bird moist in the oven as the fat renders down as you cook it. These turkeys are the ones you can buy directly from farms, farm shops and other independent retailers. Often they will be simply boxed and wrapped in greaseproof paper.
4 Ways To Make Your Food Shop More Sustainable This Christmas
1: Buy Local and Seasonal: Opting for locally grown and seasonal produce can significantly reduce the emissions associated with food transportation and storage. Food grown without the need for additional inputs such as irrigation, light and heat have a much lower impact. The best way to know where your food is coming from is to buy from a local company you can trust, and choose to eat seasonal produce where possible.
2: Minimise Food Waste: Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Plan meals carefully, store food properly, and use leftovers creatively to minimise waste. Composting organic waste can also help reduce methane emissions from landfills. Many local councils now collect food waste from households or there are great composters on the market.
3: Support Sustainable Turkey Production: Know where you food is coming from and how it was produced. Traceability and transparency on food production can be really difficult when you are buying from large companies dealing with complex supply chains. By buying locally from businesses you can trust is the best way of knowing how your food has been produced. This is really important to ensure your turkey (or other meat) comes from a high welfare free-range system. The Golden Turkey Standard is a fantastic way to know that your turkey has been raised the right way. There around 27 farms certified to this standard in the UK.
4: Reduce Packaging Waste: Choose products with minimal packaging or opt for eco-friendly packaging options such as recyclable or compostable materials. Buying your vegetables and turkey from us means you will have the most minimal pastic possible on your Christmas dinner. When buying food gifts choose suppliers that minimise packaging, use plastic free alternatives, and support sustainable producers.
You won’t find birds with the Golden Turkey accreditation in a supermarket or large commercial stores. Member farmers only sell their Golden Turkey accredited festive birds at the farm gate, their online store or from selected farm shops, quality butchers and independent stores The Golden Turkey Quality Assurance Guarantee mark represents an accreditation which is only applied to birds meeting all aspects of the code of quality requirements When you order a festive bird with the Golden Turkey mark, you can be sure of an exceptional quality Christmas turkey, with rich flavour and succulence.
You can get the taste of Cornwall this Christmas by getting a fresh food delivery to your door. By getting your fresh food delivered from Cornish Food Box Company, you're getting it straight from the source, guaranteeing freshness and quality as well as supporting local farmers, and a whole community of food producers and contributing to the livelihoods of our rural communities.
With our online ordering and nationwide delivery options, getting your food delivered is convenient and hassle-free, allowing you to enjoy the best of food produced in Cornwall whilst supporting a more sustainable food system that's good for farmers, animal welfare, your health and the environment.
