Ruscombe Red Polls are a Pedigree Red Poll herd of cattle, living just outside Stroud in Gloucestershire.  This herd is the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2022 winners of the Best Small Red Poll herd in the Southern England, and the 2015 winners of the national best small Red Poll herd, as judged by the Red Poll Breed Society.  For the last 5 years the Ruscombe Red Poll Beef was also awarded the National Trust's Fine Farm Produce Award, for its taste, appearance and overall quality. They are owned and managed by husband and wife team, Richard Spyvee and Rebecca Charley.

This Red Poll suckler herd is managed on an extensive system, with the calves staying with their mothers for the first 10 months. They graze over 100 acres of herb rich pasture, under environmental stewardship schemes, around the valleys of Stroud, (Ruscombe, Randwick, Chalford and Slad).   The majority of this is as conservation grazing for the National Trust and the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and Ruscombe Farm's own Stewardship Scheme.

The beef is hung for 5 weeks, then vacuum packed and sorted into mixed beef boxes that are collected fresh from the farm ready for freezing.  It is sold in mixed boxes, largely within the local community.

We look to enhance the conservation of the land and the breed  as well as producing the healthiest and best tasting beef around.  Keeping the cattle in a relaxed and natural system as possible way is a key part of this.

Red Poll beef is sweet and succulent.  It is well marbled, with small amounts of fat running through the meat which increases flavour and tenderness. Ruscombe Red Poll have a diet of species rich fodder, which, with their slow growth adds to the exceptional taste, sweetness and quality.

To enhance the flavour, our meat is dry-aged, being hung for 5 weeks. This removes a lot of the moisture whilst the carcass is hanging resulting in better flavour and much less shrinkage when cooked. Our beef has a greater fat cover than commercial beef which allows the meat to benefit from hanging longer to provide greater tenderness and flavour.