In Kyloe, a combination of fantastic chefs, a top of the range Montague broiler and rigorous training on the part of our dedicated front of house team, all help to ensure the steak that arrives at your table is top quality when you tuck into it.

Of equal importance though is everything (and I mean, everything) that happens in the life of the cattle before they arrive at the restaurant fresh from the farm.

Such is the passion I have for serving the best quality meat I can find, that I work very closely with Hardiesmill farm in the Scottish Borders who have cracked the secret to delivering top quality cattle. Owners Robyn and Alison Tuke have identified the three key components in their technique as:

1  Breeding

2  Feeding

3  Handling

Pedigree Aberdeen Angus has long been saluted as the cream of the crop for fantastic steaks. The breed originated from three farms in the Scottish counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus (hence the name), but it soon spread over the world and now it's the biggest brand of beef out there.

Why is it so special, I hear you ask? Well, firstly, the firm fat and lean meat combine on your plate to deliver a dish that balances subtle and delicious flavours. They are also wonderfully good-natured cows that are easy to manage from a farming perspective.

Kyloe's staff favourite is 'No-nose'- those of you keen to discover why he is so-called are more than welcome to visit the farm and meet the hefty chap in person. All of Kyloe's staff make routine visits to the farm to learn about, and taste, the delicious offering they present to our customers every day.

All Hardiesmill cattle are fed on grass. While there are many merits to grain feeding, grass fed cattle have been shown to produce meat that is rich and naturally balanced in Omega 3 & Omega 6. Grass-reared beef has a lighter front-of-tongue flavour but a bigger impact on the top of tongue and sides of mouth, with a greater longevity of taste too.

The key difference in Hardiesmill's handling is their choice of abattoir. A stressed cow does not a tasty steak make so the cattle are lovingly handled right up to their humane end ensuring the meat remains tender and succulent. The meat is then hung for 2-4 weeks allowing enzyme activity to tenderise the meat and strengthen the flavour.

While meat hung for longer is often presented as premium, well bred and handled cattle are already wonderfully tender and hanging for longer can risk the meat becoming 'gamey'.

So if ever wondered what makes the perfect steak - the answer is a whole lot of teamwork from teams dedicated to their craft so you can enjoy the best steak around!