From Beast to Beef

Today we visited G Wood and Sons Ltd Slaughterhouse in Clipstone near Mansfield. We were first shown around the lairage which is where the livestock are held and inspected in anticipation of being slaughtered. The animals seemed fairly relaxed although I was a little unsure about how much space they were given. There were Sows waiting overnight for slaughter tomorrow, a few sheep and the fifty cattle including one little calf which we were going to watch been slaughtered.  After a quick bite to eat we put on our smocks, wellingtons, hairnets and helmets. We were now ready to head into the unknown!
The initial smell was quite poignant, like a concentrated smell of a butchers shop. Bright red blood and bits of fatty tissue were displaced almost everywhere, but my wellingtons somehow managed to stay clean. The operation from the initial stunning and slaughter of the cattle, to the half carcasses being approved and stamped in the chiller was amazingly slick. At one point we stood right in front of the holding pen where the cattle were shot with a bolt gun stunning them. A trap door then opened dropping the stunned, fitting animal onto the floor where it was craned up by one of it's back legs and the jugular cut, allowing a dramatic gush of blood to drain out of the beast! The hooves were then cut off anus removed, skinned, beheaded, gutted, split in two, inspected then washed and straight in the chiller BOOM! Who fancies steak tartare!
I must say that the whole operation of this particular slaughterhouse was very impressive. Managed by professionals who respect the animals.

Unfortunately I was unable to take any photographs inside but I did take a couple of pictures of the abattoir entrance which are quite unnerving.