Danish Crown is a global meat producer, with over 130 years of farming and butchery heritage and expertise. Founded in 1887 by a cooperative of farmers in Denmark, Danish Crown prides itself on its farm to fork offering and unique industry know-how.
Now, Danish Crown uses its butchery expertise to offer a premium bespoke service to UK restaurant operators nationwide. The highest quality meats are hand selected to chefs’ specification. Danish Crown specialises in pork and beef, with a focus on gourmet burgers, premium dry-aged steaks, barbecue products such as St. Louis ribs and Boston butts, and sausages.
In a recent case study with Topgolf – a global sports and leisure business with an American-style menu – Danish Crown demonstrates the bespoke nature of their catering butcher division.
With three sites in the UK, and over 40 sites across America, Topgolf is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the sports and leisure sector. They will soon be opening sites in Canada, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates to expand their global reach. They expect to see 1.3 million visitors to their UK sites this year.
James Ringsell, head of UK food and beverage at Topgolf, has worked directly with a Danish Crown account manager to develop a bespoke burger patty for their menu. “The burger that we currently use is a unique recipe to us, which contains brisket and chuck,” he explains. Topgolf were looking for a patty recipe that would be able to retain its juiciness and flavour, which is why they chose to include cuts of beef with a higher fat content. “The burger can be cooked to the guest’s choice to keep it nice and juicy; that’s the important thing when it comes to a burger,” he says.
With many sites across multiple countries and cities, consistency is extremely important to Topgolf. “We try to pay attention to the quality of what we serve, and that’s why it’s important for us that we use a quality product like the Danish Crown burger,” Ringsell says.
He also emphasises the importance of food safety standards in an industry where there is no room for error. “The main reason why I’d recommend Danish Crown is because their food safety is paramount to them, so I felt comfortable using their products,” he says. This is testament to Danish Crown’s control over its full supply chain, as well as recent investment in state-of-the-art equipment for their production facility in Manchester, which has achieved an AA Grade accreditation from BRC Global Standards for their world-class food safety.
Allan Munch Hansen, director of foodservice at Danish Crown, explains why he thinks they go above and beyond to help chefs. “We see ourselves as a partner to chefs and operators. We work with you closely to develop the perfect products for your menus, because we understand the importance of having a point of difference in a crowded market,” he says. “Our team of expert butchers can develop a range of bespoke specifications that can be taste-tested to perfection by chefs, and our dedicated account managers are there to ensure service runs smoothly.”
Ringsell agrees with this, noting that he never needs to worry about the service Danish Crown provides. “Danish Crown are reactive to any problems or issues that I have,” he says, adding, “and they’re reliable.”
Danish Crown offers a free butchery masterclass for its customers, to help educate junior chefs and kitchen teams about butchery and to ensure staff are comfortable working with any cut of meat on the menu. The masterclasses are informative, interactive, and a great team building exercise. To enquire about a butchery masterclass, contact Danish Crown at foodserviceuk@danishcrown.com.