Photo supplied.
Pictured is Chris Cleary petting their Black Angus bull, Skyward Aberdeen on their farm which has been in the family since the mid-1800’s.
In Peterborough, the Cleary name might be associated with home building but before the family began that business, they were among the first famers in the Keene area.
Two years ago, Chris Cleary left a career in the restaurant business, having risen to the position of Chef de Cuisine at Maple Leaf Sports operating 60 private clubs and launching a series of restaurants for Cineplex The pandemic had virtually closed down the restaurant industry, giving him a chance to reflect on his family’s future and he found the answer in his family’s past.
He moved them from downtown Toronto to the 101 acre farm then owned by his uncle and began to raise Angus cattle. As a chef he appreciates the quality of the meat this breed provides.
The past two years have been spent rebuilding fences, lean-tos and reimaging how to best use and restore the fertility of the land so it could support his herd, which now fluctuates between 50 and 75 head. He has also developed a group of local partners who provide grain, butchering and distribution support to his business, always with an eye towards sustainability. Most of the time his cattle are grazing, supplemented by products from Starfra Feeds and used mash from Peterborough’s 100 Mile Brewery.
With his chef’s background, Cleary is very focused on the quality of his product, so his cattle are all registered Black Angus. This year his cow-calf operation will reach a sustainable size, so he will be able to trace the origins of all his beef. Butchering services are provided by fifth generation butcher Sedore Meats and Primal Cuts and the meat is dry-aged for 28 to 48 days. The longer aging makes the product more tender and allows it to develop a distinctive flavour, Cleary describes as resembling cheese. This premium product is appreciated by some of his restaurant customers such as Chemong Lodge. Retail customers can find frozen cuts of beef at Victory Garden Supply in Fraserville and Primal Cuts in Peterborough, or by purchasing online. Packages of ground beef or bulk beef purchases ranging from small bundles that will fit in a standard fridge-freezer to an entire animal requiring up to sixteen cubic feet of freezer space are available.
Cleary’s beef cuts are well-trimmed and vacuum packed, so like in a grocery store, customers can see what they are purchasing. But that’s where the similarity between his product and that in the grocery stores end. Cleary cattle have been raised on pasture with hay in the winter months and grain supplements in the finishing period. They receive no hormones and antibiotics in rare instances when the health of the animal is jeopardized.
Cleary recognizes that many consumers are facing tight budgets and beef is not on the menu as frequently as it has been in the past. For many beef is considered a bit of a luxury, and Cleary believes that quality matters now more than ever. He compares purchasing meat from a known, local producer to shopping at a farmers’ market: you know where the food comes from. He is happy to share his chef’s background with customers to cook their cuts property and stretch them in a way to maximize their value. For more information, visit the website www.clearycattle.com. KG
