Here's The Beef

Set back from the road in an unassuming little red building, Broad Brook Beef offers a unique commodity — premium, local meat products.

Linda Forish, of Enfield, said it was her first time stopping by the farm store, but that she would definitely be back.

“Pasture-raised beef, without preservatives or anything else, is hard to find,” she said.

Joe Baskerville came from Hartford to pick up his burgers and steaks.

“I have been here before and I brought burgers to a cookout last weekend, people were asking where I got it,” he said.

Owner Herb Holden, Jr. said one of his customers comes from Glastonbury and shops for his cul-de-sac, taking orders from four families.

The farm store has a selection of filets, steaks, rib eyes, burgers, kielbasa and other cuts of meat. Holden also sells products from other Connecticut farms, such as goat cheese from The Griffin Farmstead in East Granby, pickles and jam from Cupola Hollow in West Suffield and honey from Farmington.

The store is open 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and is off Route 140 in Broad Brook, at 47 Broad Brook Road.

“The cattle ranch has been operating for more than 35 years, but we just opened the farm stand in October,” Holden said. “About three years ago we decided to change direction, and focus on selling meat to the consumer.”

His parents, Herb and Kathy Holden began operating Double H Acres in 1978. It is now a 65-head Hereford cow/calf operation. The farm sells livestock to people looking to raise or slaughter their own cows. The farm is now managed by Herb Holden, Jr. and his sister, Ashley Holden.

Currently, there are 30 steers in the Broad Brook Beef program. Last year there were 20 and Holden said his goal is to get up to 50 head.

He said he considered selling half or whole cows, but explained sometimes people don’t realize you only get about 10 strip steaks from a half, and then lots of hamburger, and often people are disappointed, so he decided to try the store with individual cuts. The store will have Berkshire pork this fall as well.

The beef is hormone- and antibiotic-free, pasture raised and dry aged for 21 days, which Holden explains adds more tenderness and flavor to the meat. He said most grocery stores stock meat that is cut within seven days of slaughter.

The products also are available at the Simsbury and Suffield farmer’s markets. Holden works with the Max’s restaurant group to provide meat and Zest Restaurant in Tolland features their beef as well.

Broad Brook Beef
47 Broad Brook Road, Broad Brook, 860-250-3311, find out more at www.broadbrookbeef.com

Simsbury Farmers Market, 3- p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, June through October
Suffield Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays, June through September.