20/06/2026
Today’s mission: learn how to make proper farm burgers using our own Lower Blakemere beef.
Luckily, I had a secret weapon.
Geraint Powell came over to give me a coaching lesson — and this was definitely not his first beefy rodeo.
He’s a Nuffield Scholar, and his study looked at how livestock farming can stop chasing numbers and start building real resilience.
His focus was on sustainable grazing strategies that balance profit with ecology — using cattle, grass, soil and sunlight properly, rather than flogging the system until everything is knackered.
In short: healthier soil, healthier animals, better margins, and a farming system that doesn’t need rescuing every five minutes.
So yes, he knows a thing or two about grass, cattle, soil, flavour and beef boxes.
And because he is clearly not messing about, he brought his own mincer.
We used Lower Blakemere Stabiliser skirt beef, which comes from the underside of the animal, around the lower chest and belly area. It’s a hard-working cut, which means it has proper flavour. Not bland. Not watery. Not pretending.
Then we added Lower Blakemere suet — the firm, clean fat from around the kidneys and loin area.
That fat matters.
It gives the burger juiciness, richness and flavour. As it cooks, it melts through the meat and stops the burger turning into a dry little hockey puck.
Our mix was roughly:
80% skirt beef
20% suet
Salt
Pepper
That’s it.
No breadcrumbs.
No egg.
No weird packet mix.
No faffing.
Just proper beef, proper fat, and a very useful man with a mincer.
The result?
A fantastic burger that actually tasted of beef.
Huge thank you to Geraint Powell for the coaching, the kit, the patience, and the reminder that the best food is usually the simplest.
