The Butcher's Book

In 1970, my father Raymond and my mother Anneke opened a business together. They started out small, in Sint-Idesbald - a popular little seaside village between De Panne and Koksijde. The fact that the villagers decamped to the sugar factory in Veurne during the winter months gave my father time to expand his business. He immersed himself in the world of cattle breeding. Within a few years, he had acquired thirty cows, some chickens and several pastures. He'd gone for Maine-Anjou cattle because he didn't like the Belgian Blue breed, finding their meat tender but lacking in flavor. Maine-Anjou, on the other hand, has juicy, marbled red meat. Its fattiness gives it its taste. Fat is always a combination of an animal's breed, a farmer's know-how and a proper diet. Animals should be kept out in the open air. My father's cows grazed right here, in the polders. They still do today, in fact. This place has excellent grass. The ocean breeze and salty air all play a role in quality and taste. Grass is nature on your plate. Animals fed on nothing but grass produce meat with real flavor. We've always been passionate about flavor. - Hendrik Dierendonck