Drumsheeny Dexter
Pasturefed, premium beef
from our paddock to your plate
We, Conor & Sorcha McPhillips, raise pure pasture fed, Irish rare breed Dexter cattle, along with two wee girls, a few hens, cats and whatever we can manage to grow for our dinner table.
Our small herd of cattle graze our traditional hay meadows year round, enjoying the benefits of unfertilised, unsprayed, mixed grasses and wildflowers and the freedom to forage for nuts, fruits and berries.
A sustainable choice
We run a 13 acre farm where we promote biodiversity and ensure high animal welfare, with low stocking rates and organic practices. Meat eating & agriculture get a bad rap when its comes to the environment but we believe a balance can be found through small scale regenerative farming which respects and protects nature. If you are going to eat red meat you should choose the best for your health and the planet!
Our farm may be small but we have big ambitions to produce the most tender, flavoursome, sustainable beef you’ve ever tasted!
Low Food Miles
We have worked hard to create a system that minimises our environmental impact. Our animals are sourced within 10km from a like-minded farmer who is using organic practices. They are raised on our multi species pastures, staying in our paddocks all year round, supplemented with our traditional style hay. When it comes to processing, one animal is brought to a family-run low throughput abbatoir, 15 minutes away, for minimal stress slaughter. The carcass is then aged for at least 21 days before being expertly butchered on-site to our specification. The beef is then packaged using, compostable materials, where possible, and packed into re-used insulated boxes for transportation, direct to our local customers.
Why choose Dexter beef?
The story of the Dexter breed is a uniquely Irish story of innovation and survival, their rich tasting beef and creamy milk provided a reliable source of sustenance for farmers and their families for decades before being almost driven to extinction. Now recognised as a native rare breed, their beef is incredibly tender, and regarded for its sweet, slightly nutty taste and buttery fat which melts in the mouth.
With its characteristic ‘spider’ marbling, the beef is high in CLAs (a fatty acid associated with health benefits), Omega 6 and Omega 9 and with more Omega 3 than mackerel, while also being low in saturated fats.
Our style of slowly and naturally maturing our cattle on our non-certified organic hay meadows year round means that the meat is enhanced both in terms of flavour and nutritional value. Pasturefed is the gold standard and compared to grainfed beef it has less overall fat and less saturated fat. It has higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids and more balanced ratio of omega-6:omega-3. Pasturefed beef has significantly higher levels of CLAs and vaccenic acid which can be turned into CLA. Overall it has higher levels of vitamins and minerals in particular Vitamins A and E, calcium, magnesium and potassium.
Our Dexter beef is a local, sustainable, high welfare choice.
It’s better for the environment, it’s better for you and your family and it’s damn tasty!
