Casa Hotel's Cocina invests in Dry Ager to elevate its own native breed, farm-reared Beef
Published On Friday 2 May 2025 by Sticky Beak
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Casa Hotel’s celebrated restaurant, Cocina, has unveiled a state-of-the-art DRY AGER® cabinet, deepening its dedication to flavour, provenance and craftsmanship. Cocina is proud to be the only restaurant in Derbyshire with both a Josper Grill and a Dry Ager, allowing it to offer guests a truly unique dining experience.
The specialist equipment brings precision and consistency to the traditional art of dry ageing, allowing Cocina to mature its own rare breed beef on site – meat that’s reared just a few miles away on the hotel’s private Walton Lodge Farm Estate. Cocina’s signature steak has been the best-seller for the past 15 years, reinforcing the restaurant’s reputation for exceptional quality beef.
Owned by Casa Hotel founder Steve Perez – and also his family home – Walton Lodge is a 360-acre estate committed to sustainable, low-waste farming. Steve’s son works full time on the farm, along with farm manager, Craig Ellis, where the family raises Belted Galloway and Highland cattle, Dorset sheep, Berkshire pigs, free-range chickens, and bees that produce honey used in the kitchen.
“This investment isn’t just about enhancing flavour – it’s about deepening our connection to the food we serve,” says Mark Thurman, Managing Director of Casa Hotels. “We’re in a rare position where we know exactly where our beef comes from – the field it grazed in, the hands that raised it. The Dry Ager allows us to honour that process and present it to our guests at its absolute peak.”
The dry ageing process allows carefully selected cuts to mature slowly over a minimum of 30 days in the Dry Ager cabinet, which controls temperature, humidity and air circulation with scientific precision. The result is meat with tender texture, deep umami, and remarkable flavour concentration – a far cry from conventional steak.
“You can’t rush this,” adds Alan Rigby, Executive Chef. “Dry ageing transforms good beef into something extraordinary. It unlocks new layers of flavour and tenderness – and when it’s beef you’ve raised yourself, that transformation means even more.”
Premium dry-aged cuts now on the menu
Guests can now enjoy expertly aged cuts including bavette, flat iron, rump, ribeye, sirloin, and fillet – all cooked over a charcoal-fired Josper Grill and served with thoughtful accompaniments like triple-cooked chips, confit mushroom, and paprika-roasted vine tomatoes.
Larger, butcher’s-style sharing cuts including Tomahawk, Châteaubriand, and Porterhouse are available by weight and butchered in-house, based on what’s matured to perfection that week.
A flavour-first, farm-to-fork philosophy
Produce from Walton Lodge Farm is central to Cocina’s kitchen ethos. The estate grows seasonal fruit and vegetables, and embraces whole-animal butchery, low food miles, and ethical farming practices. This short, transparent supply chain offers diners a rare chance to taste food with a genuine sense of place.
The Dry Ager cabinet is visible from the restaurant floor, adding theatre to the experience. Guests are encouraged to speak with the team about the daily aged selection and how best to enjoy it.
Bookings and information
To book or learn more about Cocina’s dry-aged offering, visit www.casahotels.co.uk or follow @casahotelchesterfield on Instagram.
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