Licensed Abbatoir

[wellingtonfarmer]

A friend wants to put a small scale Abbatoir up so he can kill animals everyone other week to put through his butchery or for home kills. Does anyone have any experience of what he needs to do to do it to become an official Abbatoir?

 

[topground]

Planning will be the greatest obstacle to overcome, nothing guaranteed to stir up the nimbys than an application for a slaughterhouse. Years ago Potters put in an ultimately unsuccessful application to relocate to three miles down the road to Chelwood on the A37 all hell let loose about the impact smells etc. Many of the residents of Bishop Sutton where they operated for decades didn’t know the slaughterhouse was there!
After that the next stop the Food Standards Agency who will find lots of ways to make the job too expensive to develop for a food business which carries about as much risk to food safety as a potato store

 

[Tim G]

Having briefly discussed the possibility of on farm slaughter/abattoir with both our vet and two FSA inspectors, I don't think it is too difficult to do. However, I think the problem is the ongoing costs of having a vet in attendance and various other expenses that make it difficult on a small scale.

 

[Smith31]

A friend wants to put a small scale Abbatoir up so he can kill animals everyone other week to put through his butchery or for home kills. Does anyone have any experience of what he needs to do to do it to become an official Abbatoir?

Hardest job in the country, to make it survive you need throughput, doing a few dozen will never be profitable

 

[serf]

Is there not such a thing as a mobile slaughterer that could drop by , ( Don't know if there is such a thing , just asking ) do the job and then have a area that's up to spec to process the meat , so its a halfway house type thing

Nah just take it down ur local abattoir......

 

[Al R]

Is there not such a thing as a mobile slaughterer that could drop by , ( Don't know if there is such a thing , just asking ) do the job and then have a area that's up to spec to process the meat , so its a halfway house type thing

Nah just take it down ur local abattoir......

Local here is almost 3 hours 1 way

 

[serf]

Local here is almost 3 hours 1 way

blimey , we must have it good round here , not that use them directly very often ,

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Having briefly discussed the possibility of on farm slaughter/abattoir with both our vet and two FSA inspectors, I don't think it is too difficult to do. However, I think the problem is the ongoing costs of having a vet in attendance and various other expenses that make it difficult on a small scale.

What did want you to do? Bro In law can’t get any answers from local council about what he needs.

 

[wellingtonfarmer]

Hardest job in the country, to make it survive you need throughput, doing a few dozen will never be profitable

I don’t think he needs huge through put.
Just kill on twice a month and get a vet and meat inspector there on those days. As long as he charges enough i think it could work

 

[delilah]

https://sustainablefoodtrust.org/articles/john-mettrick-press-release/

https://www.nationalcraftbutchers.co.uk/

 

[Tim G]

What did want you to do? Bro In law can’t get any answers from local council about what he needs.

The abattoir we use suddenly got funny about horned cattle and refused to take them, which when we have a herd of longhorn cattle finishing and selling everything ourselves, caused quite a panic here. Luckily it got sorted out quickly but we spoke to our FSA dairy inspectors (who both have/had involvement in the meat side) and it was quite straight forward. Just needed a clean area to restrain and kill, before hanging and bleeding. They said a good sized loose box would do. The butchery side of it needed a bit more, but again not too difficult. I think the complications start when the slaughtering etc becomes more like a production line, with different areas and a number of animals in the line, if you see what I mean. If I owned the farm, it is something I'd seriously consider building the facilities to do. Our vet also has the qualification to do the anti mortem inspection stuff, so it would be a case of booking her for a morning, the local fallen stock people would provide a bin for the waste.

 

[Old Tip]

Definitely tell him to get in touch with the sustainable food trust, they are really pushing to get more small places going and I am sure will be able to give advice

 

[Hesstondriver]

it may also be worth a fire side chat with your MP . food miles / local / less distance to slaughter eco friendly etc

 

[Danllan]

A friend wants to put a small scale Abbatoir up so he can kill animals everyone other week to put through his butchery or for home kills. Does anyone have any experience of what he needs to do to do it to become an official Abbatoir?

It's been considered by many, including me and some friends as a joint effort. @runny egg?

 

[matthew]

A new small facility in north cornwall, may give you some tips. They also take farmer home kill animals.

How a Cornish farm set up on-farm deer processing facilities - Farmers Weekly

Cornish farmers Matt and Pip Smith are hoping to capitalise on soaring demand for British venison having recently launched their own branded meat company,

www.fwi.co.uk

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

it may also be worth a fire side chat with your MP . food miles / local / less distance to slaughter eco friendly etc

There was a session on "Making Small Abattoirs Sustainable" last night on The Real O F C, I didn't see it but Mrs D said it was encouraging

 

[Woolless]

There was a session on "Making Small Abattoirs Sustainable" last night on The Real O F C, I didn't see it but Mrs D said it was encouraging

What's 'The Real OFC'?

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

The Real Oxford Farming Conference, just a bit "alternative" to the OFC

 

[Danllan]

The Real Oxford Farming Conference, just a bit "alternative" to the OFC

What does 'alternative' mean?

 

[Smith31]

I don’t think he needs huge through put.
Just kill on twice a month and get a vet and meat inspector there on those days. As long as he charges enough i think it could work

He can only charge what nearby abattoirs are already charging that will be his ceiling price, yet he will have far greater overheads per animal in comparison.

Many butchers shops have abattoir provision but have closed over the years and send their animals to nearby abattoirs as they are more cost effective.