FAQs

Here we have a number of the most commonly asked questions about us.  If you have a query and it is not answered here though please do contact us.

How can I be sure that your beef is Scottish?

All the beef which we finish at Edinvale Farm is destined for Macbeth’s where it is born and reared but we also buy similarly raised cattle from other suppliers here in the North east of Scotland and insist that they give us full traceability details so that we can track the beef right back to the farm of origin.

Is all Aberdeen Angus beef Scottish?

Perhaps, but most likely not. Most Aberdeen Angus beef offered for sale in this country comes either from Argentina or Australia. Aberdeen Angus refers to the breed of cattle, not its country of origin. However all our Aberdeen Angus beef is Scottish.

Is your beef organic?

No it is not, but don’t confuse “organic” with “high quality”. Extensively reared, grass-fed cattle which receive absolutely minimal medication produce the best beef in the world.

Do you deliver abroad?

At the moment we can only deliver to mainland UK destinations. Basically as soon as water gets in the way we start to have problems!!

I am worried about the idea of giving my credit card details over the Internet – is it really secure?

The really quick answer is yes it is! The longer, more technical answer is that we use a dedicated 3rd party payment service provider, SagePay, who provide secure online credit card and debit card payment solutions for thousands of online and mail order businesses across the UK.

All transaction information passed between the Macbeth’s online shop and the SagePay VSP Systems is encrypted using 128-bit SSL certificates. No cardholder information is ever passed unencrypted and any messages sent to our servers from SagePay are signed using MD5 hashing to prevent tampering. Nothing passed to the SagePay servers can be examined, used or modified by any third parties attempting to gain access to sensitive information.

Once on the SagePay systems, all sensitive data is secured using the same internationally recognised 256-bit encryption standards used by, among others, the US Government. The encryption keys are held on state-of-the-art, tamper proof systems in the same family as those used to secure VeriSign’s Global Root certificate, making them all but impossible to extract. The data SagePay holds is extremely secure and they are regularly audited by the banks and banking authorities to ensure it remains so.

SagePay has multiple private links into the banking network that are completely separate from the Internet and which do not cross any publicly accessible networks. Any cardholder information sent to the banks and any authorisation message coming back is secure and cannot be tampered with.

No individuals within SagePay are able to decrypt transaction information or cardholder data. SagePay’s systems only allow access by their most senior staff and only in extenuating circumstances (such as investigations of Card Fraud by the Police). Your transaction information and customer card information is secure even from their own employees because their systems never display the full card numbers, even on administration screens.

I am sometimes unsure about how much to order and like being able to ask my butcher’s advice, which I would miss if I used mail order.

You don’t need to – just ring up and ask us, and we will willingly give you advice on any aspect of your order. You can even speak to the butcher himself!

How efficient is your delivery system?

We think it’s pretty good. Orders are collected around 1.00 PM and delivery is by 12.00 noon the following day for 95% of British postal addresses. If you do live on a remote island, sometimes it might take 48 hours, but even then with our polystyrene boxes with refrigerant inside, that is quite satisfactory. Please make certain we have your correct post code and telephone number, as these are invaluable in ensuring your delivery is made correctly and easily.

When can I get delivery?

Delivery can be made from Tuesday to Friday. Orders are usually dispatched within 2 to 3 working days but it is safer to allow 7, especially at busy time such as Christmas. Also if you would like delivery on a certain date then this can be arranged too. If you just fill out the requirements in the comments box then we can arrange that for you.

Why can’t I have a delivery of meat from you on a Monday?

Because we don’t work on Sundays as a rule! And as the carriers tend not to collect on a Saturday, your order would have to be collected on Friday lunchtime for a Monday delivery, and we do not like the idea of orders sitting around for 72 hours before delivery.