Lincolnshire beef gets wrapped up with Lincolnshire wool

Innovative eco-packaging made with Lincolnshire wool is helping Lincoln Red beef to reach homes across the country

Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef is working with Woolcool to develop a sustainable packaging solution using Lincolnshire wool.

Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef is reared on the 3,000 acre South Ormsby Estate in the Lincolnshire Wolds and is one of the world’s largest herds of rare ‘original population’ Lincoln Red cattle.

Now available for order online, the beef is being distributed across the UK using innovative packaging that is made using 100% British Wool. As a first for the market, Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef is working closely with Woolcool to increasingly use Lincolnshire wool in the mix, with the target of using 100% Lincolnshire wool.

Staffordshire based, Woolcool has been developing natural packaging solutions made from wool since 2008, but this will be the first time it has used wool from Lincolnshire sheep in its packaging. Presently, the Lincolnshire wool is blended with other British wool, but in future, the company hopes that all of the wool used for Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef will be sourced from sheep in Lincolnshire.

Wool is a natural insulation material that the company uses to create high performance, environmentally-friendly food packaging. The Woolcool liners are fully compostable and biodegradable, with a recyclable protective layer. The liners can be reused around the house and garden as insulation or potting material and the wool can be returned to the soil where it decomposes and releases valuable nitrates back into the soil.

Woolcool is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified and its packaging has been independently proven to keep food contents below 5 °C for at least 24 hours and also works for frozen produce. This enables the Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef to be distributed to customers across the UK.

Damien Howard-Pask, spokesperson for Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef, said:

“We’re very excited to be working with Woolcool and trialling this new packaging with our steak boxes. We’re passionate about helping people to appreciate the magnificent qualities of original population Lincoln Red beef so that we can help this ancient breed recover from the brink of extinction. By using wool from Lincolnshire sheep, we’re also championing the county we love and supporting other farmers in the area.

“Across South Ormsby Estate, we work hard to promote sustainable development and create a brighter future for the local area, so using locally sourced, biodegradable wool in our packaging really reflects the values we’re proud to uphold.”

Named after the family which owned South Ormsby Estate for almost 400 years, Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef is an ethically farmed herd of original population Lincoln Red breed. These cattle date back to the 18th century and their genetic base can be traced back to the Viking invaders on 440-66 AD.

Faced with competition from imported European beef in the 1970s which could be produced quicker and in much larger quantities, many Lincoln Red farmers found success by combining the qualities of the traditional British cattle with commercially attractive qualities of European breeds. Meanwhile, the number of original population Lincoln Reds continued to fall to the point where there are just several hundred alive today.

Through sustainable farming practices, the Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef herd has grown to become one of the largest original population Lincoln Red herds in the world, and select cuts of their beef is now being sold online to help the breed to recover in numbers so the breed can continue to be appreciated by future generations. Lincoln Reds take longer to mature than the more popular European breeds, but patience is rewarded with a superior beef which is considerably better tasting.

With a forage-based diet, Lincoln Reds are less dependent on cattle feed and other resources, and the sales of Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red beef is helping the original population of this ancient breed to recover through sustainable farming practices.

Managing Director of Woolcool, Josie Morris said:

“We are really excited to partner with the South Ormsby Estate on this project, supplying the insulative packaging to protect such a special product. Their vision of a sustainable community is amazing and like South Ormsby, we are passionate about reducing our wider business impact, not only in terms of planetary impact but also managing societal and community responsibilities. Our values are very much aligned with South Ormsby and we are proud to be affiliated with such a pioneering community.”

Massingberd-Mundy Lincoln Red Beef steak boxes include ten thick-cut fillet, sirloin, rump and rib-eye steaks which are delivered to your door. Steak boxes are available for £79.99 and can be purchased from www.southormsbyestate.co.uk.