Animal Welfare
It's important to know where your meat comes from and how the animals have been treated.
We work with trusted British farmers and suppliers who share our commitment to animal welfare, responsible farming and high-quality meat.
Beef & Lamb
How are cattle & sheep stunned?
All cattle and sheep are stunned before slaughter under the supervision of trained animal-welfare officers.
The entire stunning line is monitored by CCTV to ensure correct procedures are followed.
The stunning methods used are:
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Cattle: Penetrating captive bolt
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Sheep: Penetrating captive pistol
Are animals checked after stunning?
Yes. At the abattoir, each animal is checked to ensure the stun has been carried out correctly before the throat is cut.
Pork
We source pork from three different sources, including a small number of pigs reared here at Bays Leap Farm.
Our Own Farm-Reared Pork
We rear a small number of pigs on our own farm, allowing us to offer customers locally reared pork alongside our other trusted suppliers.
Local Rare Breed Pork – Hamsterley
We source rare breed pork weekly from Mark Bradley's Rare Breed Pork in Hamsterley, County Durham.
The pigs are electrically stunned before slaughter at a local abattoir.
Free-Range Pork – Yorkshire
We also source free-range pork from Anna's Happy Trotters in East Yorkshire.
These pigs are electrically stunned before slaughter at the supplier's family-run abattoir in East Yorkshire.
How are pigs stunned?
All pigs supplied to our butchery are electrically stunned before slaughter, whether processed at our local abattoir or the family-run abattoir in East Yorkshire.
Chicken
We offer British chicken from two trusted suppliers, with a selection of whole chickens and individual cuts available.
British Class A Chicken
Our standard whole chickens and individual chicken cuts are British Class A.
Available products include:
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Whole chickens
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Chicken breasts
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Chicken thighs
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Chicken wings
These chickens are electrically stunned at the abattoir using a water-bath stunning system, rather than carbon dioxide (CO₂).
Free-Range, Herb-Fed Chicken
We also offer free-range, herb-fed chickens for customers looking for an alternative to our standard British Class A chicken.
Our herb-fed chickens are only available as whole chickens, not individual cuts.
How are chickens stunned?
Our chickens are stunned before slaughter using an electrical water-bath stunning system.
We do not source chickens stunned using CO₂ gas.
Our Commitment to Animal Welfare
We believe customers deserve clear, honest information about the meat they buy.
That's why we're transparent about our suppliers, where our animals are reared and the stunning methods used before slaughter.
If you have any questions about our butchery products, farming practices or animal welfare, our team will be happy to help.
Visit Bays Leap Farm Shop to explore our range of British meat and speak to our team about the products available.
