Butchery & Recipes

I’ve always been keen over the years and more so recently to use as much of the bird as possible.  Gone were the days when I used to pluck the feathers I’ve needed and then not known what to do with the rest of the bird.  Over the last few years I’ve watched YouTube videos to increase my knowledge and skill in to process the birds in a respectful way which they deserve (Scott Rea’s videos are a great go-to!).  I used to prep the birds in the kitchen, where our counter space is sparce anyway, feathers everywhere and used to be a bit of a nightmare to clean, so in the summer of 2021, I decided to revamp our shed which was only really used for storage and no real use. 

I now have a 2.4m work bench kitted out with stainless steel top, which we heated and bent against the wall and then bent down for easy cleaning (Ebay £85).  I also purchased a splashback screen to go against the wall for easy cleaning (£25 Ebay) from a bathroom fitter.  Was slightly cracked at one end, but we needed to cut it down to fit the length of the bench, so that worked fine.   I already had a mincer, vacuum packer and 2 chest freezers.  I re-lined the shed walls with wood sheets from B&Q and painted these with 2 coats of paint.  Come Christmas, my list for Santa consisted of items such as hanging hooks, fly zapper, various knives, meat cleaver and a bone saw 😊

So, in reality, the set up really didn’t cost much and it doesn't need to! There is no better feeling than to be able to process your own birds, to then cook up later in the year.

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Click below to see the process from start to finish...