Our Slaughter Practices
At Farm2Fork, we believe that the end of an animal’s life is just as important as the way it is raised. Transparency is central to our values, and we want you to understand exactly how our animals are slaughtered. This is an essential part of our farm to fork approach, and we are proud to work only with abattoirs that meet the highest welfare standards.
We raise our livestock outdoors on organic pasture, with a focus on calm handling and low stress management throughout their lives. That same respect continues right through to slaughter.
Where our animals are slaughtered
We only work with trusted, small scale abattoirs that follow best industry practice. Both abattoirs are overseen daily by government vets, who monitor welfare, ensure regulations are met, and certify the meat as fit for human consumption.
Red meat
Our cattle and sheep are slaughtered at Gages Farm in Ashburton, Devon. The team there handle animals quietly and carefully to minimise stress during unloading and lairage. Each animal is humanely stunned with a captive bolt, which renders it immediately unconscious and unable to feel pain, before bleeding takes place.
More information on captive bolt stunning can be found at the Humane Slaughter Association:
Captive bolt stunning
https://www.hsa.org.uk/methods/captive-bolt
Poultry
Our chickens, turkeys and geese are slaughtered at Otter Valley Poultry near Honiton, Devon, a family run farm with a specialist poultry abattoir. Birds are passed through an electrical stunning system that renders them instantly insensible to pain before bleeding.
More information on electrical stunning can be found at the Humane Slaughter Association:
Electrical stunning
https://www.hsa.org.uk/methods/electrical
No religious slaughter
None of our animals are slaughtered using halal or any other form of religious method. We do not use recoverable stuns. All livestock are given an irreversible stun, which ensures they remain unconscious and unable to feel pain throughout the process. We believe this is the most humane approach, and it is a key reason why we choose to work with the abattoirs above.
Local, low stress transport
Keeping travel times short is an important part of high welfare slaughter. Our animals make only short journeys to the abattoir and are handled by experienced teams who work calmly and steadily. Both abattoirs are small scale, which allows for a quieter environment and a gentler pace.
Why we take this approach
High welfare farming is not only about how animals are raised. It is about ensuring their final moments are as calm and respectful as possible. By choosing irreversible stunning and working with small, local abattoirs, we are able to uphold the same values that guide every other part of our farming system.
Our commitment to transparency
We know that many customers want to understand where their food comes from, and we believe you deserve clear, honest information about these practices. If you have any questions about our slaughter process or our wider welfare standards, we are always happy to help.
