Will’s World: Steak challenge is something to chew over

A few miles upstream from our farm on the River Dee is a historic pub that I’m very fond of.

It dates back to the mid-17th century, has a lovely little church next door to it, and on a summer’s evening there can’t be many finer places to be than sitting at one of the picnic tables next to the river enjoying a nice cold beer with a few friends.

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I have many happy memories of the place, and a few family connections too. There used to be a ferry crossing there, and the winding wheel that pulled it across the river is still in place.

When my grandad was a lad, he and his friends would swim stealthily from the far bank and pull the ferry across, leaving the hapless ferryman turning the air blue and shaking his fist at them when he realised he’d have to wind it all the way back again. I smile to myself every time I see it.

What’s your beef?

The pub has had a lot of money spent on it in recent times, so it’s far from the spit-and-sawdust establishment it used to be. Hordes of people now come from far and wide to visit – often in extremely expensive cars.

Nevertheless, it has managed to retain the character that makes it so special, and a warm and friendly welcome always awaits the locals.

The old man and a couple of his friends head down there for a drink most weeks, a bit like – as I very much enjoy pointing out to him – a Welsh version of Last of the Summer Wine.

As far as I’m aware, they haven’t been down any hills in a bathtub yet, but it’s probably only a matter of time.

A few weeks back he happened to ask them where they got their steaks, thinking, as most of us would who live and farm right here in the heart of Welsh beef country, that they’d be from a local supplier.

Alas, not so. It turns out that this quintessential country pub is selling Australian steaks.

I should point out, by the way, that I love Australia; if I had to live anywhere else it would probably be there.

I have huge admiration for its farmers who manage to produce some of the finest food and drink in the world in an extremely challenging climate, and I even have a grudging respect for their cricket team.

But I suspect that if a good old Aussie pub anywhere between Wollongong and Wyalkatchem was serving up Welsh steaks, farmers there would have a few choice words to say about it.

Tough answer

What worried me the most was their reason for serving it. If it had been to do with price, while being disappointed, I could have understood, especially with times being as tough as they are in the pub game.

But it wasn’t that. Instead, they claim they can’t source the quantity of consistently high-quality British steaks that they require. They’ve tried before, but they had complaints from customers that the steaks weren’t up to standard.

I confess that I do find this slightly hard to believe. But if we take their word for it then it’s cause for concern indeed, especially given the trade deals that political genius Liz Truss negotiated with our Antipodean cousins, and what’s potentially coming down the line as a result.

Do we need to be focusing far more on eating quality in the beef industry? It’s certainly something to think about.