We have previously demonstrated that feeding red clover relative to grass silage results in meat characterised by higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) but reduced shelf life which was associated with lower levels of vitamin E in the muscle (Scollan et al., 2006). Colour shelf life could be ameliorated by feeding additional vitamin E (Scollan et al., 2006). Feeding red clover silage followed by finishing off pasture may help alleviate the problem of colour shelf life while maintaining the benefit of the legume in delivering higher PUFA into meat. Hence this study examined feeding red clover compared with grass silage during the winter, following by a summer finishing period at grass, on fatty acid composition, vitamin E content of meat, colour shelf life and sensory attributes of beef.