Question 1

What is a Boer Goat

Accepted Answer

The breed originated in South Africa in the early 1900's and was developed specifically for meat.  Traditionally the breed have white bodies and a head of varying shades of red.  An all-red variant has become popular in recent years.   They are a docile goat, fast growing and have high fertility rates.  Most breeds of goats will come into season late summer so that kids are born early in the year.  Boer Goats can breed all year round which helps breeders plan meat availability better.   Our bucks, Kaiser and Thor, are pedigree Boer Goats.  Most of our does are Boers too, but some are dairy goat or Cashmere crosses.  The crosses affect the hardiness of the animal and growth rates of the kids.  We are developing opinions as to the most appropriate goats for our purpose, environment and market.    .

Question 2

What is so great about Goat Meat?

Accepted Answer

Well, outside of the western world, people don't ask this question because world-wide it is the most consumed red meat.  Here in the UK we are beginning to understand why.   When buying Goat Meat, be very careful to check the source of the meat.  There are a number of large dairy herds that supply milk to supermarkets now.  To do this they have to have kids of course, and the young boys in particular are often seen as surplus to requirement, as the breeders want the milk from their mums.    We believe the meat from Boer Goats is superior to that produced from young dairy kids, and we also ensure our Boer Goats are allowed to grow at a natural rate to give the chance for the taste and quality of the meat to develop.  We do not force the growth rates on at all as this would result in an inferior quality meat.  Think about some of the fast grown economy meat for sale, and the lack of taste in some of those products, and you will understand the difference the rearing techniques can make.

Question 3

Do we do the butchering?

Accepted Answer

No.  We have partnered with a local butcher to do this for us.  When we have goats ready, we supply a list to the butcher, and they cut and pack the meat for us.  It is important to us to support local business in this way.   If you have a need for a particular cut coming up, please contact us.  If we do not have that particular pack available, we will be able to ensure it is included in the next batch from the butcher.   Please check the Produce page for more information about the cuts available.

Question 4

What does the meat taste like?

Accepted Answer

We say it has a distinctive sweet, nutty taste.   To help understand we find it best to start with sheep.  Meat from older goats should be treated similar to mutton (mature sheep meat) and cooked long and slow in stews or curries for example.  The result is a very tender and sweet tasting dish which you may have experienced as a Goat Curry already.   We are specialising mainly in meat from younger goats, described as Kid Meat in our shop.  This is more like Lamb that you can buy, and could be substituted into any such recipe.  Because it is lower in fat than lamb, cook it at a slightly lower temperature than a recipe suggests.    Again, it is a very sweet tasting meat.   Having said that, you'll only know if you try it!  Please check our Shop for availability.

Question 5

How should I cook it?

Accepted Answer

We have a small number of recipes on our site, but if you start from a Lamb or Curry recipe, it is hard to go wrong.  It should be cooked at a slightly lower temperature than a lamb or beef recipe suggests, due to the lower fat content in Goat.   An internet search, or check on Facebook, will also provide inspiration if you are stuck.

Question 6

Where can I buy Goat Meat?

Accepted Answer

Well, apart from ourselves of course, who can ship goat meat by courier across the UK, many local independent butchers are getting the message - particularly ones who have producers locally.   A search online or on Facebook will come up with an ever growing number of results.  Or you can check the British Boer Goat Society web site which lists all the Boer Goat keepers by region.  Any of these will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Question 7

How much is delivery?

Accepted Answer

Any amount up to half a butchered kid goat can be processed as a single order.  The standard next-day delivery costs £15.  Additional 'timed' or Saturday delivery options are available at checkout at an additional cost.  If you want a whole goat shipping, prices will start from £20.   This is a combination of the packaging and courier costs.  We appreciate it seems a lot against a small order, but our costs are much the same whatever the order size.  We make no money on the packaging and delivery charge.   If you are in the Pembrokeshire area, we are happy to arrange a delivery to your door-step.   If you are able to collect in person, that avoids the delivery charge, and you get the chance to meet our goats!

Question 8

Can Frozen packs be sent by courier?

Accepted Answer

We do ship packs from our freezer, but we are unable to guarantee they will be frozen by the time it reaches you.  We do not recommend refreezing these items as it may affect the quality of the product.   Customers are putting frozen deliveries stright back in the freezer when they are there to receive them on the next-day delivery service.   Please bear this in mind when ordering frozen packs, or call us to discuss.

Question 9

What packaging do you use?

Accepted Answer

We were keen to ensure the packaging used was both efficient and environmentally friendly.  This led us to the Woolcool range supplied to us by 3R Sustainable Products.   We have to pay a little more for these products compared to other foil or polystyrene options, but it does meet our main requirements in every way.  All the packaging you receive is either recyleable or reusable, and we hope you make the most of it.   For our cooked or partly-cooked 'ready meals', we have sourced recyclable packaging. Biodegradable or compostible packaging was investigated, but the priice of these remain prohibitive - we will of course monitor the prices, with the intention to move to such products when economically possible

Question 10

How can I pay for the meat?

Accepted Answer

If you place an online order through our shop, you can either pay for it using a credit or debit card at the time of the order.  You can pay via PayPal, or you can choose to pay for it separately.    If you pick the 'manual payment' option in the checkout, we will contact you to sort out payment.  We can provide you with our bank details if you wish to pay direct to our account (BACS).   If you are local to us here in Pembrokeshire, there is an option at checkout to collect the product from our shop.  We will contact you once the order is placed to arrange a time to collect.  As with a courier order, you can either pay when you place the order, or by BACS or cash when you collect the order.  If you do collect in person, you are more than welcome to meet our goats if you wish.