So is there such thing as Yorkshire Wagyu?
Seven years ago I tried Wagyu for the very first time. I was lucky enough to be staying a in the five star Intercontinental Hotel in Dubai, a hotel rich in style, décor, service and, indeed, food.
If memory serves me right £30 was the price I paid for a Wagyu Burger, and you can pretty much imagine that if a burger was £30, a steak would be at least double that price in an establishment of this grandeur.
It seems strange that seven years after eating my first example of Wagyu (literally meaning ‘Japanese cow’) that suddenly there seems to be an insurgence of this beef famed for its intense marbling and high-end quality.
In the last few months alone I’ve been told about it being on the shelves of Aldi, farmed in remote parts of Wales and then, lo and behold, I’ve seen it in the cricket field behind my home.
There is warning however with Wagyu, as there is with anything; there are varying levels of quality.
You’ll see numerous articles on the internet proclaiming that the Aldi Wagyu burgers are great, and I have no doubt they are, but I’d question the people writing these articles. Have they ever had the finest Wagyu, and have they travelled to its origins in Japan, known for being the best farmers of Wagyu and indeed where you can try the best money can buy?
I would guess probably not, so yes go and buy it, stock up the freezer but be sure to try other producers before you declare your undying love for the stuff from Aldi.
So is there such thing as Yorkshire Wagyu? Of course there is, and the Wagyu from Yorkshire Wagu is pretty good too, owning a heard of 1,000, Jonathan, the man behind the Yorkshire Wagyu Company now spends most weekends at festivals and markets and street food gatherings showing off the quality of his meat.
Priced at £7.50, his burgers are not quite at the price point you’ll find in McDonalds but nor are they quality you’ll find there either. Served in a brioche burger bun with a simple slice of tomato, an essential leaf of lettuce, they are stamped with the company logo.
In my opinion his burgers are simply divine, homemade, served a little pink and packed full of flavour they are without doubt worth a purchase.
Be sure to look out for Wagyu, but more importantly be sure to look out for Yorkshire Wagyu.