FAQs

Yes of course, please email hello@swaledale.co.uk referencing your order number no less than 4-working days before your chosen delivery date.

No, due to the nature of perishable goods this is not possible.

Yes, the DPD app allows you to manage your delivery and update delivery instructions. You can download it from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or from the Google Play Store for Android devices.

Yes, you can track your order throughout its journey. DPD will send you an SMS and/or email with tracking instructions once your order has been shipped.

No, never. Stock levels in our shop are accurate and updated several times a day.

If you applied a rewards coupon or discount code at checkout, it will reduce the price of the products in your cart. However, please note that our minimum order value of £60 still applies. If your order total falls below £60 after applying the code, you will need to add more items to your cart to proceed with the purchase.

Yes, our minimum order value is £70

At Swaledale Butchers, we set high standards, including an eco-friendly shipping policy. By optimising the use of available box space, we encourage thoughtful ordering.This approach ensures the sustainable growth of our business whilst continuing to support our dedicated farming community.

If an order is placed for a postcode we don't deliver to, our system will automatically cancel and refund the order. You will receive a cancellation email confirming this.

If you realise you've entered an incorrect address when placing your order, please email hello@swaledale.co.uk as soon as possible. If the order hasn't been dispatched, we'll do our best to update the address. However, if the order has already been shipped, we are unable to change the delivery address. In this case, we cannot be held liable for any lost or undelivered goods. Please ensure all details are correct before completing your order to avoid any issues.

If you input an incorrect email address or mobile number when placing an order, you will not receive order confirmation, delivery updates, or notifications from our courier. It’s important to double-check your details before completing your purchase. If you realise the error after placing the order, please email hello@swaledale.co.uk as soon as possible to correct it. However, we cannot be held responsible for any missed communications due to incorrect contact information.

We don’t offer introductory voucher codes or first-time purchase discounts.

At Swaledale, we price our meat fairly all year round rather than building in artificial margins to fund ongoing promotions. Everything is Always Fresh, Never Frozen®, butchered to order and sourced directly from small, independent farmers, so the price reflects genuine quality and provenance from the outset.

We do, however, run Monthly Specials with 15% off selected cuts. These are carefully chosen each month to help maintain whole-carcass balance, allowing us to use every part of the animal well whilst offering customers excellent value. Our Specials are available to all customers.

You can also join our Rewards Programme, where you earn points on every order which can be redeemed against future purchases.

If you sign up to our email newsletter, you’ll be the first to hear about seasonal specials, limited-run collaborations and more.

Yes, you'll be prompted to select your delivery date when you check out. Typically this can be up to 60-days from today, excluding Sundays, Mondays and public holidays etc.

Unfortunately, due to the perishable nature of our goods, it is not possible to change the delivery date after your order has been shipped.

If you applied a rewards coupon or discount code at checkout, it will reduce the price of the products in your cart. However, if the total after applying the code is below the free delivery threshold (e.g. £80), you will still need to pay for delivery.

Yes, free delivery on orders £80+

Yes, please select at the checkout. Pre-12 (1pm in Scotland) is for mainland UK postcodes only.

£10

Standard delivery is £5 for orders between £70 and £79.99.

Yes, we recommend using the DPD app to track and receive real-time updates on your delivery. The app is available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad, or you can download it from the Google Play Store for Android devices.

Yes, standard delivery is free on orders over £80

Whilst the DPD app offers the option to change delivery dates, this functionality is not applicable to perishable goods like ours. To ensure the freshness and quality of your order, we cannot accommodate changes to delivery dates once your order has been dispatched.

If you choose to change the delivery date via the DPD app, we cannot be held responsible for the condition of the goods upon arrival. As our products are perishable, altering the delivery schedule may affect their freshness and quality, and could also impact our ability to deliver them within a safe timescale. Once the delivery date is changed, we are no longer liable for the condition of the items.

The Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly, the Isle of Man, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, or outside of the UK.

Excluded Scottish Highlands, Islands and remote postcodes:

AB36–AB38, AB55–AB56, FK17–FK21, HS1–HS9, IV1–IV63, IV99, KA27–KA28, KW1–KW17, PA20–PA80, PH19–PH50, ZE1–ZE3, ZZ71, ZZ75.

If you receive an incorrect item, please email us at hello@swaledale.co.uk with your order number. We will send you the correct item free of charge as soon as possible, or alternatively, we can offer a refund. You will not be charged for the incorrect item.

In the rare event that your delivery is delayed, please be reassured that our insulated packaging is designed to keep produce in optimal condition throughout the duration of day two after it leaves Swaledale HQ.

If there are any issues with the condition of the meat once it arrives, we’ll do everything we can to make it right. We value long-term relationships with our customers. However, we’re only able to offer a refund or replacement if the quality of the meat has been compromised due to the delay.
If you have any concerns after receiving your delivery, please email hello@swaledale.co.uk, referencing your order number and the nature of the issue as soon as possible.

If any items are damaged during transit, we will replace the damaged item(s) free of charge or offer a refund. Please email us at hello@swaledale.co.uk with your order number and details of the issue as soon as possible.

If you live somewhere with a communal entrance, please be aware that your parcel may be left in a foyer or post room where other residents have access to it, so it is important to be on hand to collect your delivery promptly.

We deliver from Tuesday to Saturday. Please note that there are no deliveries on Sundays or Mondays.

Our trusted delivery partner is DPD, who are the gold standard of couriers in the UK.

Our cut-off time for next day delivery is midday. Orders placed by midday on Monday will be delivered on Tuesday. Orders placed after midday on Saturday will be delivered on Tuesday.

We ship to mainland UK and any postcodes where DPD provides a next day or 2-day delivery service.

To protect quality and reliability. These areas are not consistently served on an overnight service, and deliveries can sometimes be handled by partner networks outside of our direct control, which increases the risk of delays.

As all Swaledale meat is Always Fresh, Never Frozen®, we only deliver to postcodes where we can confidently offer an overnight service so your order arrives on time and in perfect condition. Rising courier costs for remote areas have also made it increasingly difficult to deliver to these locations in a way that is both reliable and sustainable.

This change was introduced in mid-February 2026. We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused, and we really appreciate your understanding.

Please note that the way deliveries are made has changed, and DPD drivers no longer have to knock or hand the parcel to you in person. If they don't, you should receive an electronic notification (text or email) once the delivery has been made, so please look out for this and be on hand to take custody of your delivery.

AB10 to AB30, AB32, AB39, KA1 to KA26, KA29, KA30, TD1 to TD16, DG1 to DG9, G83 to G90, EH1 to EH55, KY1 to KY7, KY11 to KY13, KY99, KY8 to KY10, KY14 to KY16, G1 to G62, G63, G64 to G82, ML1 to ML12, PH1 to PH14, PA1 to PA19, FK1 to FK15, FK16, DD1 to DD11.

If you take delivery of a package from us and the (part) contents have been damaged in transit, we will replace the damaged item(s) free of charge or offer a refund.

If we have sent you an incorrect item, please email hello@swaledale.co.uk referencing your order number and we will either send you the correct item, free of charge, as soon as possible or alternatively we will refund the item. We will not charge you for the incorrect item.

No, we do not accept returns due to the perishable nature of our goods. However, your statutory rights are not affected. If you encounter an issue with your order, please email us at hello@swaledale.co.uk with your order number as soon as possible.

Yes, we use double-walled cardboard boxes with Sealed Air® Brand TempGuard™ – recyclable packaging designed for shipping temperature-sensitive goods like meat. The thermal insulation is made from heavy-duty kraft paper with uniform inner padding, offering excellent insulating properties.

No. Swaledale Butchers operates as an online and wholesale business only. We do not have a physical shop, retail counter or collection service. Our butchery is a working production site, and all orders are placed online and delivered directly to customers’ homes nationwide.

Offering this service would not only be unhygienic but we calculated the carbon footprint of returning used packaging to be higher than if you recycled it. Despite the current trends in this sector, it seemed performative of us to simply gloss over this fact.

Once you generate a voucher (for example £5 or £10 off), it becomes a standalone discount code. You won’t see it again in your rewards panel, even if you haven’t used it yet. The voucher is still active - it just needs to be entered manually at checkout. If you misplace it, contact us and we’ll resend it.

Yes. The code doesn’t disappear.

You can:

• Check your email inbox (if you received an automatic email with the code)
• Or ask us and we will resend it
• Or we can delete the unused code and return the points to your account so you can generate a new one

The rewards panel only shows:

Your current points balance

• The rewards still available to redeem
• Previously generated vouchers are stored separately and don’t reappear in your panel. (They do remain active.)

If you need yours reissued, just ask.

No. One voucher can be applied per order - this is how our rewards system operates. It keeps things simple, prevents overlapping discounts, and ensures the programme remains sustainable for our small business.

When you click “Redeem,” the system creates a discount code and removes the points immediately.
If the code wasn’t added at checkout:

• The voucher is still active
• It hasn’t been used
• You just need the code

Contact us and we’ll resend the unused voucher or return the points if you prefer.

Yes. Your order total must be:

• £60 with £3.95 delivery
  or
• £70 for free shipping

This is calculated after rewards or discount codes are applied.

Because that’s how we run our rewards programme - one voucher per order. It keeps the system fair, consistent, and viable for us as an independent butchery.

Only people who have never ordered from us and don’t already have a Shopify account can be referred. If you see a message saying their email is already registered, that means they’re an existing customer and aren’t eligible for referral rewards.

Our referral programme is designed for completely new customers, and eligibility is based on whether someone already has a Shopify account on our store, not whether they have placed an order.

So if you created an account in the past (even if you have never checked out), the system recognises you as an existing customer. This is why you may see a message such as: “This email already has a Shopify account on this store.”

You are still very welcome to use the shop as normal, but the referral reward will not apply because the system only allows referrals for customers who have never created an account and never ordered.

If you are unsure whether an email is already registered, feel free to ask us and we can check for you.

No. Swaledale Butchers does not supply halal or kosher meat.

All animals destined for us are processed using a non-recoverable captive-bolt stun, the standard high-welfare method used in the UK. No religious rites or recoverable stuns are used.

No. Lamb destined for Swaledale is processed using a non-recoverable captive-bolt stun.

This ensures an immediate loss of consciousness and is the high-welfare standard used for non-religious processing in the UK. No recoverable stuns, non-stun methods or religious rites are used.

We previously supplied a small number of wholesale customers who operated within the halal market, which is why our name appeared on a certificate issued for their business.

Animals prepared for Swaledale have always been processed using a non-recoverable captive-bolt stun.

This method is not compatible with recoverable stun, non-stun methods or religious rites, and the method used for livestock destined for Swaledale has never changed.

No. Swaledale Butchers does not use CO₂ gas stunning for pigs. Around 90% of UK pork comes from pigs stunned with high-concentration CO₂ gas, but the abattoirs we work with use electrical stunning instead. This method induces an immediate loss of consciousness and is widely regarded as a far more humane approach than CO₂, which can cause distress before the animal becomes insensible.

Our pigs are rendered unconscious using electrical stunning, which causes an instant loss of awareness. Once unconscious, they are bled out while fully insensible, following UK high-welfare guidelines and under the supervision of FSA officials. We choose this method specifically because it avoids the welfare concerns associated with CO₂ gas stunning, which is now the dominant process in UK pig production.

We work only with FSA-approved plants where trained officials and on-site veterinarians oversee animal welfare, hygiene and documentation. All animals destined for Swaledale are processed using high-welfare stunning methods that ensure an immediate loss of consciousness. Full ear-tag traceability follows each animal from farm to butchery.

No. Every animal in the UK carries ear tags that track it through the entire chain. Combined with veterinary oversight and FSA documentation at every stage, this ensures complete traceability and prevents mixing.

We cannot speak for other businesses or their communication choices. At Swaledale, we prioritise clarity and transparency so customers can make informed decisions about welfare and sourcing.

There is a great deal of misinformation online, including outdated documents and assumptions repeated in online groups. We encourage customers to come directly to us for accurate information. We are committed to being transparent about our welfare standards and processing methods.

A former wholesale customer operating within the halal market listed our name on documentation for their business, which led to an old certificate circulating online. This does not relate to the method used for livestock destined for Swaledale, which has always been processed using a non-recoverable captive-bolt stun.

Our wild venison is taken in the field by trained stalkers following best-practice guidelines to ensure a calm, low-stress end for the animal. Carcasses are then delivered to an FSA-approved game handling establishment where they are inspected, stamped and processed before entering the food chain.

Our chickens are free range and slow-grown to 81 days (full maturity) and are processed at FSA-approved facilities with full veterinary oversight and strict welfare controls in place.

Birds are handled by trained professionals to minimise stress during catching and transport. They are then rendered unconscious using approved stunning methods before any further processing, in line with UK welfare legislation (Welfare of Animals at the Time of Killing Regulations 2015).

No religious (halal or kosher) processing methods are used.

Processing takes place at approved facilities rather than on farm, as this provides the highest standards of hygiene, monitoring, traceability and animal welfare. An Official Veterinarian is present to oversee welfare and compliance throughout.

Not formally certified organic. Many of our farming partners produce small numbers of livestock each year, sometimes as few as 20 cattle, and the cost of certification is not practical for farms of this scale.

However, their methods closely reflect organic and regenerative principles:

• livestock are raised on permanent pasture in the Yorkshire Dales
• diets are based on fresh grass and high-quality hay, not cereals or concentrates
• antibiotics are virtually never required (none used in the last three years except in life-saving scenarios)
• inputs such as fertilisers or herbicides are minimal to non-existent
• these systems support insects, birds and rare wildflower species

These pasture-based, low-input approaches result in exceptionally healthy livestock and landscapes rich in biodiversity.

Many of the farms we work with use traditional, pasture-based systems that naturally align with regenerative principles, even if they do not label them that way.

In the uplands this typically involves:

• grazing hardy native breeds on permanent pasture
• improving soil health through natural nutrient cycling
• encouraging biodiversity in species-rich grassland
• managing land with minimal external inputs
• supporting habitats where insects, birds and mammals can thrive

These practices have been part of upland farming for generations and remain central to producing healthy animals and flavour-rich meat.

Swaledale Butchers is registered as an approved food establishment with the Food Standards Agency (FSA), rather than with a local council authority. This means we operate under a higher and more stringent regulatory framework than standard local authority food hygiene ratings.

As an FSA-approved cutting plant, we are subject to:

• Routine inspections by Official Veterinarians
• Continuous compliance with national food safety legislation
• Full traceability and hygiene controls across all operations

Our approved establishment (cutting plant) number is GB 2544.

Because of this approval status, we do not appear in local council food hygiene rating schemes. If you would like any further detail about our inspections or standards, we’re always happy to help.