Swaledale Meat Delivery Box Review

AD: We were asked to review a selection of meat from Swaledale Meat. We had the choice of what to order and were asked to give an honest review of what we thought.

Have you lived through a pandemic if you haven’t had a food box delivery? There’s something so special about the doorbell going and knowing it will be food on the other side. We’ve tried chocolate, biscuits and breads but as yet hadn’t experienced much fresh produce. I’m still intrigued by the thought of a Meat Delivery Box making its way from across the country but still being food safe.

Who are the Swaledale Meat Company?

A traditional butcher based in Skipton, Yorkshire Dales committed to producing high-quality meat. A whole-carcass company that breeds traditional livestock, concentrating on exceptional meat rather than quantity.

What type of Meat is available to order?

The Swaledale online shop at https://swaledale.co.uk is really easy to follow. There is so much choice. The meat is separated into the different animals where you will see exactly how much of the animal is used. This is a company who really intend on using the whole carcass of the animal.

There are also sections for specials, seasonal products and Meat Boxes. We chose the Essential Meat Box to be able to try as many varieties of meat on offer as possible. The Essential Meat Box has a price of £60.00 at the time of writing and contained:

• 2 x 250g Traditionally Dry Cured, Sliced Smoked Streaky Bacon
• 2 x Free-Range Herb-Fed Chicken Legs
• 1 x 480g pack of Lamb Merguez Sausages
• 2 x 300g heritage breed Pork Chops
• 2 x 220g dry-aged Bavette Steaks
• 1 x 800g dry-aged native Joint of Beef
• 1 x 540g pack of Beef Steak Mince
• 1 x 500g pack of Native Breed Beef Chuck
• 1 x 480g pack of 6 Yorkshire Breakfast Sausages

There are currently 207 different products to order – From familiar meat cuts to rather obscure but all look really tasty. The website is well worth a visit.

We also decided to treat ourselves and order chateaubriand which was stunning. A really throw back to our holidays in France.

How is meat packaged?

Each separate cut is vacuum packed with a stick label. This obviously makes best use of space as the Essential Meat Box contains A LOT OF MEAT! The Use-By date is clearly visible along with storage instructions. On a couple of the bags, the sticky label did start to peel away and rip due to the moisture during transportation.

The meat comes well insulated so is completely chilled and safe to use on arrival.

How long does online meat last?

Typically each cut of meat had around 4-5 days until the Use-By date. There is no way we could use it all up by the Use-By date so we froze a lot of it. The mince had the longest shelf life of around 7 days.

How much does Swaledale online meat cost?

The Swaledale Essentials Meat Box costs £65.00 and is well worth every penny. You honestly won’t believe how much you get.

Delivery is free over £50.

You can choose your delivery slot – They are currently working 2 days so order on a Monday and you should be able to get a delivery by Wednesday. The communication is great with texts letting you know where your order is up to.

Meaty meal suggestions

We used the Yorkshire Breakfast Sausages in a dish that we make several times per month, our Sausage Chilli. We could really taste the quality of the sausages – the herbs really come through and no gristle.

The Smoked Streaky Bacon went such a long way. With 5 of us in the house, we normally find that one pack is nowhere near enough but again, the quality and thickness of the bacon was fantastic. So tasty and rich. We used some to make Bacon and Mushroom Spaghetti.