French Poulet de Bresse
French Poulet de Bresse is reputedly the best quality table chicken in the world.
Under strict ‘Protected Designation of Origin Control’, this Beny variety is only reared in the Province of Bresse.
Described by Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin as the “queen of poultry, the poultry of kings” and selected by Heston Blumenthal in his book ‘In Search of Perfection’.
From 35 days old, birds are fed on cereals and dairy products (intentionally low in protein to encourage the birds to forage for insects).
Finished on maize and milk for the last two weeks of their lives, they are slaughtered at 4 months vs a comparison broiler chicken at 21 days.
“Butchery is highly technical. It takes dedication and practice to hone and refine your knife skills… but as you progress there’s something incredibly rewarding about the ‘art of meat cutting’. Hearing first-hand about the French farming techniques to produce Poulet de Bresse was fascinating.”
— Dave, Althams Butcher
