Meat
Red Poll
C tier
Red Poll is a deep-red, naturally polled dual-purpose breed from East Anglia, developed by merging Norfolk and Suffolk red polled cattle. Animals are medium-framed, hardy, and efficient on grass, producing maternal milk and beef with moderate marbling and a fine eating quality when finished for meat. Culinary reputation is that of classic English pasture beef: balanced flavour, tender joints, and suitability for roasting and grilling without excess external fat. The breed remains important to native-breed and conservation herds and supplies niche retail and box-scheme beef under UK EUROP classification.
Also known as: Red Poll, Red Poll
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Grading systems
Grades are placed along a shared scale so systems can be compared side by side.
History
Red polled cattle of Norfolk and Suffolk were kept as dual-purpose farm stock on East Anglian mixed holdings.
Breeders began uniting Norfolk and Suffolk populations into a single red polled type.
The Red Poll Cattle Society was founded and a herd book opened for the combined breed.
Red Polls gained recognition at major agricultural shows as a polled dual-purpose alternative to horned breeds.
Numbers fell with dairy specialisation, then recovered through rare-breed and suckler-beef interest.