From Basel with Beef: Art, Bikes & Butchery

Grüezi from Basel,

It’s week two in my new Swiss home, and I’m already starting to find my rhythm — even if it includes the odd wrong turn on my bike!

Yes, I’ve joined the thousands of cyclists who cruise confidently around Basel. It’s not quite Amsterdam, but it definitely beats dodging London traffic. Feels safer, cleaner, and just a little more chilled.

This week, I paid a visit to Kunsthaus Baselland — a modern art gallery filled with abstract pieces that made me stop and think. It was a refreshing change of pace from the world of meat displays and business plans. Sometimes you need to let your brain wander.

Of course, I’ve still got one eye on the meat industry across Europe, and here’s what’s stood out:

• 🇨🇭 In Switzerland, beef prices remain stable, but there’s pressure mounting from feed and grain costs.

• 🇩🇪 Germany is making a big push toward mandatory animal welfare labelling.

• 🇫🇷 France has seen a summer boost in butcher shop sales — BBQ season and tourism proving good for business.

And a quick nod to the Lionesses — England has retained their Women’s Euros title. What a moment!

On the home front, I’m learning High German every day by tuning into SW4 Radio on good old-fashioned FM. I'm starting to understand more, but Swiss German is something else — sounds like a dialect from another planet. Still, I’m sticking with it. Little by little.

If you’re reading this from a butcher’s block, your kitchen counter, or the back office of a shop — thank you for being part of this community. I’ll keep sharing these updates, ideas, and observations from Basel as they unfold.