Free Range Goose | Essex Reared & Game Hung
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Description
Christmas Goose | Free Range, Essex Reared, Game Hung and Hand-Finished
Tom's Note - For those seeking something truly special this Christmas, our Free Range Goose is the pinnacle of seasonal dining.
Raised locally in the beautiful Essex countryside on open, pesticide-free pasture with access to clover-rich fields, our geese are allowed to grow slowly on home-grown cereals to full maturity (without any additives or growth promoters) over 6–7 months, developing rich marbling and a generous layer of golden fat beneath the skin.
Unlike many commercial birds, these geese are dry plucked by hand and game hung for 7–10 days, allowing the meat to mature, deepen in flavour and tenderise naturally. The result is crisp, golden skin and incredibly succulent, dark meat with unrivalled richness. Supplied with giblets and goose fat inside, this is a true centrepiece with everything you need for a luxurious festive feast.
Why You'll Love It
🔥 Game Hung for Rich Flavour – Hung for 7–10 days to enhance flavour and texture.
🌿 Truly Free Range & Slow-Grown – Raised on pasture with a natural, additive-free diet.
🥩 Includes Giblets & Goose Fat – Everything you need for your roast potatoes and gravy.
A Cut Above the Rest
From its crisp skin to its juicy, well-marbled meat, this goose is the ultimate in festive indulgence. Raised and finished with care, it delivers outstanding flavour that speaks for itself — and the rendered fat it gives up is worth having on its own.
Prefer the traditional bird? Our Free Range Bronze Turkey is game hung the same way. For a smaller table, try the Bronze Turkey Crown or our Boned & Rolled Breast and Leg Joint.
Order Now
Bring something unforgettable to the table this year with our Free Range Goose – expertly raised in Essex, hand-finished and game hung for flavour. Our free range geese are available for both Thanksgiving and Christmas:
Thanksgiving — delivery and in-store collection on the 26th and 27th November.
Christmas — delivery runs 19th–23rd December. In-store collection from the shop is available 19th–24th December, with the shop closing at 12pm on Christmas Eve.
Ordering early is advised, we sell out every year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does goose taste like?
Rich, dark and deeply savoury — closer to duck than turkey, but with more depth again. All the meat is dark, so there's no lean-versus-rich divide the way there is on a turkey. It's a bigger flavour and a more indulgent meal, which is precisely why it was the traditional Christmas bird in this country long before turkey took over.
What size goose do I need?
Goose has a much larger frame and more fat than a turkey, so the meat yield per kilo is lower — you need a bigger bird than you'd expect. As a guide: 4–5kg serves 4–6, 5–6kg serves 6–8, 6–7kg serves 8–10. If you're between sizes, go up.
How do I roast a goose?
Prick the skin all over, avoiding the meat, and sit the bird on a rack over a deep tray. Start at 200°C for 30 minutes, then drop to 170°C for around 45 minutes per kg. Pour off the fat two or three times during cooking and keep every drop. It's done at 72°C in the thigh. Rest for 30 minutes.
What do I do with all the goose fat?
Keep it. A goose renders a remarkable amount, and it makes the finest roast potatoes you'll ever cook. Strain it into a jar once cool and it will keep in the fridge for months. Your bird also arrives with goose fat and giblets inside, so you have plenty from the start.
What are your Thanksgiving and Christmas delivery dates?
Thanksgiving delivery and in-store collection run on the 26th and 27th November. Christmas delivery runs 19th–23rd December, with in-store collection from the shop available 19th–24th December, closing at 12pm on Christmas Eve. Ordering early is advised, we sell out every year.
Shipping & Storage Information
Shipping
We offer standard delivery services Wednesday - Saturday, the cut off point for next day delivery is 11am. Orders placed after this time can be scheduled for the day after, onwards.
Our boxes are designed to keep the chilled products at the right temperature for up to 72 hours from the time they leave our cold store. Boxes leave us at approximately 4pm each day and are then out for delivery between 8am to 6/7pm so are generally in transit for around 24 hours.
We strongly advise customers to download the DPD app for updates and to organise your "Safe Place" for where the delivery driver can leave your parcel in the event that you are not at your address.
Our deliveries are made on a "no signature required" basis. In the event that nobody is available to take delivery of your order at your delivery address or you ask us to leave your goods unattended at a secure place, Thomas joseph Butchery rejects all liability that may arise in consequence of the delivery being left unattended, including, without limitation, theft, tampering or contamination, however caused. It is your responsibility to be in on the day of delivery and have put in place arrangements for the delivery if you are not going to be at the address. To avoid any unforeseen issues, customers must add "delivery instructions" for where to leave the parcel, at the checkout stage.
The boxes do not need to be signed for but if there is nowhere to leave them, they will be taken back to the depot and you may need to collect the following day or accept delivery on the second day. If delivery is attempted and you are not there on day one we assume no liability after this first initial delivery attempt.
Delivery addresses must be put in correctly by the customer at the checkout. We do not assume any responsibility for goods sent to addresses that are not put in correctly and we do not alter any addresses unless asked specifically to do so by the customer in question either by email or over the phone, this must be done 24 hours before delivery. We hold no responsibility or liability for any goods sent to incorrect addresses that have been organised with our courier by the customer during transit, again it is the customer’s full responsibility to put in an address that is correct.
One hour delivery slots will be sent on the delivery date but no exact time can be given. While our courier does its best to deliver within the timeslot, delays may occasionally occur and claims cannot be made for deliveries received within 48 hours. We recommend choosing a delivery date at least one day ahead of when your order is required to avoid any potential disappointment.
If you have any special requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us on 01277 373 656.
Storage
90% of our products are cut fresh and vacuum packed to give you as long a shelf life as possible, you will have 7 days from the packing date within which to use the meat. All vacuum packed products are issued with a use-by date and must be kept at 4 degrees or below once received. If you would like your products wrapped in paper, please just let us know during checkout.
The use-by-dates for paper wrapped products are as follows:
Beef, Lamb and Pork cuts: 3 days
Chicken, sausages, burgers and mince: 2 days
Our aim is for you to have the best meat products, delivered directly to your door. With that in mind, we’ve put together a simple go-to guide on what to do once you hear the doorbell ring.
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Unpack. We recommend placing your products on a baking rack in your fridge. Allowing the air to get to your meat will keep them from sweating and discourage bacteria growth. If vacuum packed, take your meat out the day before you want to use it.
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Store. Keep your meat away from other food, if you can, treat yourself to a whole shelf.
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Freeze. Freeze on the day of purchase and if vacuum packed, keep them that way. If not, place them in a bag with as little air as possible, try a zip-loc bag and squeeze out the air as you fasten it. Use within 6 months.
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Defrost. Defrosting in the fridge is the optimum way to go. Allow 24 hours and use within 24 hours of being defrosted.
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Enjoy. Go fourth and enjoy your wonderful meat! Don’t forget to take a snap and post it on insta or facebook and if you’re really happy, go tell your friends and leave us a review on google :).
Returns
If you are unsatisfied with anything in your order, please contact one of our team on 01277 373656 and we will look into the matter for you. While we do not accept returns via post we are happy to look into anything. We would never send you anything that we would not eat ourselves and truly believe that our products are of superb quality. We take enormous pride in what we do and every issue very seriously, if something is wrong we shall endeavour to put it right.
