Tag Archive: Article

Roadies

Back to contents

 
 
 

 
 
 

Who do you take on a Mexican inspired road trip through Southern USA? Well, only the award winning, big grinning, taco-slinging matriarch herself chef Claudette Wilkins will do!

 

The ultimate addition to the Roadies shotgun seat – Claudette Wilkins from El Jardin in San Diego.

Mexican food has influenced American cuisine for centuries and found its way into every corner of the country. Alongside traditional Mexican, an emergence of dishes that blend Mexican with various regions, cultures and cuisines infiltrates the spectrum of foodservice outlets from fine dining to fast food and everything in between.
 
From Tijuana tacos to Tex-Mex, Chihuahua to chimichangas, New Mexican to Navajo tacos – we hit the road from San Diego California to El Paso Texas, by way of Mexico, to experience the magic of Mexican food and its incredible impact on American food culture.

Mexican beaded steer’s head at El Jardin – Tijuana for tacos with Claudette.

Famed for Mexican food since 1939 is ‘La Posta’ in New Mexico – Tacos + Fresca in San Diego – Tacos Al Vapour in Tucson Arizona.

Editors’ Letters

Back to contents

Editors’
Letters

2019 Appetite For Excellence winners Luke Piccolo, Olivia Evans and Bianca Johnston with MJ from Rare Medium and Lucy Allon from A4X.

This issue could just be my proudest to date. Focusing on the next generation of foodservice leaders, it tells the stories of a swathe of young, passionate and incredibly talented individuals who I cannot thank enough for the energy and enthusiasm they have poured into its pages.
 
Fostering the next generation is essential in the forward trajectory of any industry and the Australian foodservice community looks set to flourish in the hands of those featured within this issue and other young professionals like them around the country. Their ideas, their ethos and their inherent care for food, food production and each other paves a new way for the future of food.
 
Just as inspiring has been our journey into regional areas for this issue and the dedicated celebration and championing of local produce we have found there. As much of the country continues to struggle with one of the worst droughts in Australian history, never has it been more vital to support our regional communities and with the exceptional hospitality on offer, never has there been more reasons to go and do so.
 
Our guest chef editor, 2019 Appetite for Excellence Young Restauranteur of the Year Luke Piccolo, effortlessly brings together both key themes of this issue – an extraordinarily talented young chef and restaurateur bringing elevated dining to regional Australia while shining a spotlight on seasonal and local produce the way nature intended.
 
We visit one of Luke’s local suppliers, lamb producer Sally Jones, whose approach to regenerative farming to foster soil health and promote multi species plant growth – ensures the quality of her flock of Dorper sheep despite the incredibly difficult seasonal conditions. Sally and Luke have worked together for four years, maintaining an open dialogue of feedback that has allowed Sally to continually improve her end product. Again, this connection between chef and producer is such a crucial component of supply chain success and cannot be underestimated.
 
Finally – the crowning glory of this issue was the opportunity to bring together the three winners of the 2019 Appetite for Excellence program – Young Restaurateur Luke Piccolo, Young Chef Bianca Johnston and Young Waiter Olivia Evans for a special collaborative dinner in Griffith. This culmination of next generation talent worked together to pull off a faultless evening that showcased regional lamb, produce from the Piccolo Family Farm and locally sourced beverages in a stunning event that sold out in under two hours.
 
Here’s to the next generation of our fabulous foodservice community – this issue is for you. A celebration of and a nod to your commitment and passion to your chosen career paths and your enthusiasm and interest in understanding and championing producers and farmers.
 

Mary-Jane Morse
Meat & Livestock Australia
[email protected]
@_raremedium

What a pleasure to be co-editor of this great mag. I knew from the first conversation I had with MJ that this would be a heap of fun.
 
This year has been a whirlwind for my team and I, being named the Appetite for Excellence Young Restaurateur of the Year was an unexpected highlight. The Appetite program was the start of my relationship with MJ and Rare Medium and it’s been great to foster this further through the making of this issue.
 
MJ’s idea to highlight this year’s Appetite for Excellence alumni shows her amazing commitment to the next generation of our industry. Seeing the quality dishes from each of the chefs affirms that they truly are a talented bunch. Being able to work with Bianca and Olivia on the collab dinner was a buzz, to share our restaurant with them and have it come alive with their energy and ideas. They worked with our team seamlessly and I’ve never seen my staff brimming with excitement like they were that night.
 
I’m passionate about regional areas and it was an absolute blast hanging with MJ and Macca on the Roadies tour seeing first-hand the considerate and driven people producing quality lamb dishes and delivering extraordinary hospitality. A couple of highlights were munching on one of the best lamb pies I’ve ever tasted over an ice-cold Reschs in the Binalong pub and a night at the Sir George in Jugiong, a town of 150 people that pulls people off the Hume highway in hoards to check out their immaculately renovated venue and eat their delicious food.
 
There was one common theme for me in the making of this issue, it’s that food and hospitality are the mesh that hold together our regional communities. It’s evident locally in our community of Griffith and we are proud to be doing our bit to create a strong dining and food culture in this vibrant area.
 
Cheers to MJ and crew for inviting me on this journey.
 

Luke Piccolo
Chef & Owner
Limone Dining
@lukepiccolo_

Copyright: this publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN 39 081 678 364 (MLA).

Editors’ Letters

Back to contents

Editors’
Letters

 

I am constantly inspired by the innovation and drive of the Australian red meat industry and proud to be able to share its stories with you here.

In this issue, we visit 2018 Farmers of the Year, Tom and Phoebe Bull, who passionately believe that farming is about much more than what happens in the paddock. Driven by customer insights, cutting edge research and savvy marketing, the Bulls are paving a way to take lamb from a commodity to a premium product – identifying and breeding sheep for lucrative marbling traits.

Our guest chef editor Peter Gunn certainly made for a lot of laughs putting together this issue. Getting to know him and his team, the ins and outs of transitioning from a renowned monthly pop up to a fine dining restaurant, and his unwavering quest to deliver an experience that goes beyond just dining was definitely a highlight.

As always, this issue explores a range of venues, ideas and inspiration for you to remain informed, engaged and inspired by Australian lamb, its prospects and its place on menus today and into the future.

Enjoy. We sure did.

 

Mary-Jane Morse
Meat & Livestock Australia
[email protected]
@_raremedium

I came to Australia 10 years ago but haven’t had the chance to travel much. Coming on board as guest chef for this issue was so much fun but it also meant I got to get out of my day to day, experience different parts of Australia and meet so many awesome people along the way. I really enjoyed meeting and talking to all the different chefs at the cafes and restaurants we visited on our Roadies trip from Broadbeach to Bellingen. Just hanging out with them and learning about different ways they are using lamb as well as talking about their businesses was great and something I’d like to do a lot more of.

As chefs these days, most of the time we are just cutting meat out of a bag and we are missing out on so much of what actually goes into that meat before it gets to us. Visiting Tom & Phoebe Bull on their sheep farm and learning about all the science and technology that goes into the lamb they produce and how much work goes on every day made me realise just how complex it actually is. I really had no idea how much goes into producing this incredible lamb and it was really inspiring to learn and I think everyone cooking with lamb should make an effort to know more about where it is coming from. It makes me really value the produce and want to do a better job with it out of respect.

This experience has been a real eye-opener for me meeting and learning from so many professionals working in this industry, from the farmers to the butchers and of course all the great chefs. Lamb is such an iconic Australian ingredient that people already feel connected to but working on this issue, visiting the farm, our butchery masterclass with Troy at Meatsmith and all the tasty lamb we got to try along the way makes me feel even more connected and inspired and I hope it inspires you too.

 

Peter Gunn
Chef / Owner
Ides
@petergunn501

Copyright: this publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN 39 081 678 364 (MLA).

Spotlight On

Back to contents

AUSTRALIAN SHEEP ARE GOOD MEAT

 
 

Around the world, there is an increasing demand from consumers for transparency and demonstrable sustainability credentials. These consumers are actively making moral decisions about what they do, what they purchase and the effect it might have on animals, environment, and people.

 
In a win for conscious consumers everywhere – the Australian sheep industry has an extraordinary story to share. Research released in 2021 by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) shows Australia’s sheepmeat sector is one of only two food products grown in Australia that is climate neutral. This means Australian sheep are making no contribution to global temperature increases and in fact, their impact is trending downward.

Research by the CSIRO shows Australian sheep meat is climate neutral.

Research by the CSIRO shows Australian sheep meat is climate neutral.

This achievement is not in isolation and has come from the continued commitment of the Australian sheep industry to improve the sustainability of operational practices through the supply chain.
 
In April of this year, Sheep Producers Australia and WoolProducers Australia, released the world first Australian Sheep Sustainability Framework (SSF). The role of the framework is to demonstrate sustainable practices, identify areas for improvement, and better communicate with customers and consumers through improved transparency and evidence-based reporting.
 
The Framework addresses 21 priorities across four themes – caring for our sheep; enhancing the environment and climate; looking after our people, our customers and the community; and ensuring a financially resilient industry.
 
Australian Sheep Sustainability Framework Steering Group Chair and Holbrook wool and prime lamb producer, Professor Bruce Allworth, said that the vision of the framework is to sustainably produce the world’s best sheep meat and wool, now and into the future – but acknowledges opportunity is not without challenge.
 
 
 

“For the industry to seize opportunities, we need to ensure we address challenges such as ensuring businesses are financially sustainable, avoiding land degradation and biodiversity loss, managing climate risk and water scarcity, meeting expectations on animal welfare, and protecting human rights in the global supply chain.”
The world first Australian Sheep Sustainability Framework seeks to demonstrate and improve sustainability.

The world first Australian Sheep Sustainability Framework seeks to demonstrate and improve sustainability.

“Across the 21 priorities, there are relevant indicators and metrics so we can measure and track industry performance year on year. This evidence base will help ensure continued access to markets for Australian sheep businesses. It will also support continuous improvement across the industry,” Allworth said.
 
 
 

By balancing environment, animal welfare, people and long-term financial sustainability, the Sheep Sustainability Framework shines a light on the crucial work of producers and supply chains, while cementing Australia’s position as sustainable producers of the worlds’ best sheep meat and wool, now and into the future.

 
 
 
Elsewhere in the supply chain, these ideals of conscious production and consumption are being reflected – and now recognised with the launch in October 2020 of the Eat Easy Awards that seek to find and reward producers, restaurants and chefs making a difference through good food and responsible practice.
 
The inaugural winner of the Eat Easy Best Red Meat Producer was Cherry Tree Downs, located 165 kilometres from Melbourne in picturesque South Gippsland.
 
As one of Australia’s earliest organic meat producers, the Blundy family transitioned Cherry Tree Downs to organic farming in the early 1990s and have been organically certified for the last 25 years.

Shane Blundy from Cherry Tree Downs Organics and his grandson Charlie.

Shane Blundy from Cherry Tree Downs Organics and his grandson Charlie.

Shane Blundy said his ‘light bulb’ moment came while ploughing a paddock, he looked behind at the soil and realised it was no longer like it used to be when he was a child growing up on the farm in the 1960s. “Back then when you ploughed, there would be birds everywhere consuming the life you had just exposed in the soil,” he said.
 
Blundy explains that his approach is to farm with nature and to intervene as little as possible in natural grazing habits.
 
“Sometimes we’re shifting the animals three times a day, which in nature is what they would do naturally, just constantly moving to fresh pasture. We try not to graze the grass too short, we take the top third for the animal, the second third for the photosynthesis, and then the last third for the soil bacteria and microbes.”
 
 
 

“We try and only graze the one paddock three to four times a year depending on the season, resting the soil and giving the natural microbial diversity time to multiply and do its work. We’ve got a huge capacity to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, but you must have a healthy soil.”

 
 
 
Cherry Tree Organics are expecting in January 2022 to be completely carbon neutral. This achievement will be reached through an Emissions Management Plan created by working with Carbon Farmers Australia since 2017. Blundy says the approach is to promote a deeper root structure in pasture grasses as well as promoting genetic diversity in the grasses which is beneficial for the soil.

Cherry Tree Organics control organic certification through the supply chain with their own butcher shop in Beaconsfield.

Cherry Tree Organics control organic certification through the supply chain with their own butcher shop in Beaconsfield.

“We were one of the first farmers to put down a carbon base. In January we will be tested again and then we’ll be able to see where we sit and how much carbon we’ve sequestered, and I believe we will be carbon neutral. When you’ve got healthy soils and a good plant structure, that will take the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. If we all farmed in that manner, the carbon dioxide wouldn’t be a problem,” Blundy said.
 
12 years ago, the family purchased a butcher shop in outer suburban Beaconsfield to control organic certification through the entire supply chain – guaranteeing organically certified beef and lamb from paddock to plate. They send beef and lamb off twice a week from the farm to Radfords, a local organically certified abattoir in Warragul VIC. After processing it is transported to Cherry Tree Organics Butcher Shop where the carcases are further processed.
 
Cherry Tree Organics have direct sales to the public from the butcher shop and from there they also cut, pack and supply numerous organic outlets and other shops. General turnover is about 2,000 lamb and 750 beef carcases a year which Blundy says isn’t without its challenges.
 
“We’re trying to breed low maintenance animals that are adept to being grass fed and finished. It’s not an easy ask to have product ready to go 52 weeks of the year but we’re getting there, and we feel we’re getting better over time,” he said.

Shane Blundy is farming for the future - leaving the land in better shape than he found it for the next generation.

Shane Blundy is farming for the future – leaving the land in better shape than he found it for the next generation.

Blundy says that he would like to “live to 140” but is knowledgeable enough about the laws of nature to realise that what he has built is for the generations that follow.
 
 
 

“We’re only here for a short time so I’m hoping that I’m leaving the place in a far better condition than what I found it. I don’t think there’s many people in the world can get up every morning and go to work and say that they are enhancing their life, their family’s life and other people’s lives,” Blundy said.

Spotlight On

Back to contents

THE ROYAL RICHMOND HOTEL

 

Words: Mark Best. Photography: Supplied

 
 

The charm and value of a well-run pub is hard to beat. Its history often long outlives the patrons who have passed through its doors and its connection to the community is a bond that is hard to break. The Royal Hotel in Richmond is one such pub where community is at the heart of all they do – and the connection goes well beyond the exchange of beer over a bar.

 
 
Founded in 1848, in one of Governor Macquarie’s five original Hawkesbury towns, the Royal Richmond is one of the oldest pubs in New South Wales. Located 65km west of Sydney at the foot of the Blue Mountains, it has seen many transformations over the years and now, after a major renovation, is ready to serve the community again with a renewed vision focused on producers in the Hawkesbury area.

173 years at the foot of the Blue Mountains - the Royal Richmond’s latest look.

173 years at the foot of the Blue Mountains – the Royal Richmond’s latest look.

Chef and restauranteur Todd Garratt has headed up some of Sydney’s more memorable establishments like Woollahra’s Buzo, The Wine Library and Balcón by Tapavino. Previously engaged as a consultant to the Royal Richmond, Garratt made the move to Richmond in September 2020 to take on the role of executive chef and general manager.
 
After so many years at the stove, Garratt was ready for a change of pace and the challenges of running a tiered venue like the Royal Richmond. Here he saw an opportunity to use his decades of experience to elevate the food offering and finally have the economies of scale to explore his passion for nose to tail.
 
Conscious of the Royal’s broad and loyal customer base – Garratt recognised that the age-old pub traditions of good food and cold beer were the engine room of the Royal’s trade. However, with access to abundant produce from the region, he also saw an opportunity to break away from the standard bar offering.

A right royal team - designer Victoria Hampshire, owner Peter Wynne and executive chef Todd Garratt.

A right royal team – designer Victoria Hampshire, owner Peter Wynne and executive chef Todd Garratt.

“The farm to table concept is a huge part of the story we are trying to tell and allows us to contribute in some small way to the environment and the community. Being able to offer the blokes at the bar better food at an affordable price is incredibly important to me.”
 
 
 

“It is about introducing items to the menu that reflect what is coming out of the ground or from the river at that moment and making a feature of the product whilst it is available. We are very fortunate to be in an area that offers such a broad range of products,” Garratt said.

 
 
 
At the core of Garratt’s farm to table approach is his relationship with Western Sydney University – sourcing beef and lamb for the pub via the farm management program at its Hawkesbury Campus.
 
“We are very fortunate to have forged a strong relationship with Joe Kavacic who oversees the farm management program at Hawkesbury campus. We are able to feature local Western Sydney University beef and lamb that has been raised within a kilometre or two of the pub, processed at Wilberforce and delivered to our kitchen within a day or two.”

Farm Management students with a Limousin steer at Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus.

Farm Management students with a Limousin steer at Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus.

The Western Sydney University farm management program is driving the transformation of agricultural research and teaching to increase the production efficiencies of local farmers and agriculture in general. Through improved pasture management and herd genetics, WSU are implementing changes that address carbon capture, water use efficiency and the ability to withstand the rapid change of weather events.
 
Kovacek takes a holistic approach to livestock farming, managing the approximately 700-hectare university farming property to ensure the best foundation for future generations. The Richmond farm runs a mixed herd of 250 cattle including commercial crossbreds, a small Angus and Limousin stud and a new line of Japanese Akaushi (red wagyu).
 
 
 

“Joe has a strong focus on maintaining the quality of his soil and pastures to give the livestock every opportunity to prosper. We essentially benefit from the on-ground research of the WSU curriculum and it is a unique connection that benefits everyone involved from the students through to the customer,” Garratt said.
Western Sydney University beef in the Royal’s purpose-built dry age cabinet.

Western Sydney University beef in the Royal’s purpose-built dry age cabinet.

With the help of butcher Darren O’Rourke, Garratt established an in-house butchery and dry ageing program to take full advantage of the abundance of quality beef in the local area. The Royal has made it a point from day one to feature the purpose-built dry ageing section within the bistro dining room for guests to see and select cuts based on provenance.
 
 
 

“When we have a whole animal processed from WSU we receive the primal cuts for dry ageing and the remaining secondary cuts are incorporated into the menu by way of daily additions and specials. Every effort is made to repurpose any waste for use in other preparations including sausages, terrines, pates and cured products.”

 
 
 
“Being a pub means that the quality of our steak offering needs to be uncompromising. We go to great lengths to maintain the consistency of the core product and a quality dry ageing program is essential for us to achieve that,” Garratt said.

A Royal feast - celebrating local produce and nose-to-tail wherever possible.

A Royal feast – celebrating local produce and nose-to-tail wherever possible.

One of the biggest challenges for Garratt has been recruiting and nurturing his young workforce and providing opportunities for local chefs. He believes it is his responsibility to pass down knowledge to the young chefs in charge and sees the dry ageing and butchery programs as key to keeping the craft alive and upskilling his team for a better future.
 
“We are striving to be the employer of choice for chefs in the area. I believe that the lengths we are going to source quality produce and provide in-house skills like butchery and dry ageing will be the difference in attracting aspiring local chefs. We hire on attitude and train them for the future with crafts and skills that will serve them well.”
 
 
 

“Butchery is not about opening boxes. Teaching them these skills gives them respect for the animal and for themselves,” Garratt said.
The Royal’s in-house butchery program teaches chefs respect for the animal.

The Royal’s in-house butchery program teaches chefs respect for the animal.

To celebrate the unique work of the WSU livestock program and the relationship between the two – the Royal Richmond hosts dinners that connect the community through paddock to plate and celebrate the animal from nose to tail.
 
“The first dinner featured an 18-month Black Angus and most recently a lamb dinner that utilised two Black Faced Suffolk lambs that were awarded first and second place at the Hawkesbury Show. On both occasions we have incorporated as many parts of the animal as possible into the menu,” Garratt said.
 
The Royal Richmond has always held the local community at its heart from the third generation market gardeners and turf farmers to the horse trainers and local heroes of the SES, CWA and RFS. It is a two way street where locals support locals and in doing so forge lasting bonds and a sense of belonging.
 
“We have a diverse demographic of locals and it is refreshing to find such salt of the earth people at the gateway to the city. The venue speaks in turn to all our varied customers and we do our best to offer support and assistance wherever possible by working closely with our local network of producers and growers and supporting local community and sporting groups,” Garratt said.

The Royal Richmond - locally focused from paddock to plate.

The Royal Richmond – locally focused from paddock to plate.

As the venue pushes on with stage two renovations, the Royal Richmond continues to put community first with a locally focused supply chain, local produce events and community support. In its simplest sense, it offers a place for the wider community to gather and enjoy. The local community, tight knit and genuine, is made up of all walks of life, the majority of whom have spent their life in Richmond or the Hawkesbury region.
 
 
 

“We pay homage to the pub’s history and are not trying to redefine what it represents to the community. Our genuine and locally focused business model gives the locals a sense of belonging to the growth and future plans for the pub as a space that can cater to all sections of the community in a more refined atmosphere,” Garratt said.

 
 

Spotlight On

Back to contents

OLD COW, NEW TRICKS

 
  

In Europe, mature-aged beef has long been tradition, particularly in the North of Spain where cattle live a full life up to 18 years before being processed as beef. Revered for its rich depth of flavour, increased marbling and yellow hued fat – Galician beef has found favour on the grills of restaurants like Asador Etxebarri in Spain’s Basque region and piqued the interest of chefs around the world.

 
 
From a production sense, mature-aged beef doesn’t make much sense – specifically growing out animals to a mature-age to achieve enhanced flavour would be an extremely high cost, low return process. But, when positioned as a value-adding opportunity for producers for their older cows no longer fit for breeding, an opportunity begins to emerge.

A Vintage Beef Co rib set from retired beef cows aged on average 5-9 years.

A Vintage Beef Co rib set from retired beef cows aged on average 5-9 years.

In Australia, beef and dairy account for two of the three largest rural industries with approximately 21 million beef and 2.4 million dairy cattle in our national herd*. Of these herds, approximately 13 million are breeding cows – producing calves on an annual basis to replenish the herd or to be grown out as beef. Most cows have a breeding lifespan between 5 – 12 years – so what happens when a cow passes her calf-bearing years?
 
Traditionally, a cull-cow is destined as manufacturing beef – comprising of mince and other processed products. However, here in Australia, opportunistic beef and dairy producers are identifying a new premium market for their older cows – and in doing so, providing chefs with a unique beef product.

I spoke to a range of producers playing in this space – growing out mature-aged beef from retired dairy cows like Jerseys and beef specific breeds like Wagyu and Angus – to dual-purpose beef and dairy breeds like Fleckvieh.
 
With its rich, developed beefy flavour, mature-aged beef suits those looking for a unique eating experience. For me, the selection of product we sampled is some of the best beef I have ever eaten. In addition to its unique eating, repurposing retired breeding animals has an ethical element to it – elevating the end use of an animal that has provided throughout its lifespan.
 
Luke and Jess Micallef both graduated with Agricultural Science honours from Sydney University before pursuing careers in the dairy industry and setting up Camden Valley Farm, 60km west of the Sydney CBD, in 2011.
 
Here they run a small herd of Jersey cattle, the smallest of the dairy breeds. However, they are not producing milk for human consumption, focusing instead on producing milk fed veal and a retired dairy cow beef product.

Luke with some of the girls at Camden Valley Farm.

Luke with some of the girls at Camden Valley Farm.

“Over the years the herd grew but with only a small herd supplying a milk company was not viable. We began rearing our own dairy bull calves and purchasing additional bull calves from local dairy farms to raise as veal and marketing them into Sydney butcheries,” Jess said.

 
 
 
Their Jersey cows usually retire between 8-14 years depending on the production capabilities and traits of the individual cows. With the help of Vic’s Meats head butcher, Darren O’Rourke, they identified an opportunity to value-add to the retired cows and together with Darren developed their ‘retired’ dairy cow line of beef.

Jersey cows at Camden Valley Farm usually retire between 8-14 years of age.

Jersey cows at Camden Valley Farm usually retire between 8-14 years of age.

The first time Darren experienced aged beef was in the UK about seven or eight years ago.
 
 
 

“It was between Spain and Sweden where I first saw the whole concept of letting an animal live longer. Seeing what they did with their old dairy cows, particularly in the Nordic countries – that sort of lit the fire for me and I wanted to try and understand how and why they did it.”

 
 
 
“I actually knew Luke and Jess through selling their pasture and milk fed Camden Valley Veal. After the success of their veal and the relationship I had developed with them – I finally had someone that I could talk to about this concept of aged beef and the program started from there,” Darren said.
 
The first cow they trialed was 10-12 years old and had just finished milking – neither Luke nor Darren understood the importance of the pasture conditioning process at the time and Darren recalls the first mouthful reflecting the general perception of old cow – tough.

Vic's Meat head butcher Darren O'Rourke with a Camden Valley rib set.

Vic’s Meat head butcher Darren O’Rourke with a Camden Valley rib set.

“I dry-aged this cow for three weeks and it was really good – the texture wasn’t there yet and the first mouthful was quite tough but it was so deep flavoured and I was convinced we were onto something. After that first trial, we did more research and developed the product together. We started pasture conditioning for 12 months and between that and the dry ageing process, we came up with Camden Valley Dairy Beef,” Darren said.

 
 
 
“With a retired dairy cow, it’s all about the beefy flavour developed after 8-10 years eating grass. The beta-carotene consumed in her lifetime on pasture also produces a yellow fat and one thing we have noticed with the Jersey cows is that they are predisposed to producing a yellower fat – an iconic trait when it’s sitting on the shelf,” Luke said.
 
Generally, dairy cattle are a lot leaner than beef cattle and have a different composition meaning the shape and size of their muscles vary – posing some challenges at the processing end.

“Beef cattle have been bred over many years to produce a consistent size and quality product and marbling. This hasn’t been the focus in the dairy industry so there can be a fair bit of variability in the product itself. With things like marbling, we really don’t know what we are going to get until we have processed the animal – it’s primarily a genetic trait and it’s not something that has been studied in the dairy industry yet,” Luke said.
A Camden Valley Retired Jersey rib eye.

A Camden Valley Retired Jersey rib eye.

HW Greenham & Sons is an Australian family owned meat processor procuring livestock from some of the best beef-producing regions in Australia and behind renowned brands such as Cape Grim, Bass Strait and Robbins Island Wagyu. In 2018, they launched their take on Spanish Galician beef – aptly named Vintage Beef Co.
 
The beef industry already has in place a stringent eating quality grading system – Meat Standards Australia (MSA). The model is the world’s leading eating quality grading system and was the catalyst for Greenham’s move into mature-aged beef when they noticed that many of their older cows were receiving high eating quality scores.
 
 
  

“The MSA model balances the traits found in the older cows such as more marbling, resulting in increased flavour, and as such they are achieving high eating quality scores. Those carcases that grade to a high eating quality are now packed under the Vintage Beef Co. label.”
Greenham’s cull beef cows were scoring high on the MSA grading system.

Greenham’s cull beef cows were scoring high on the MSA grading system.

“The meat from older cows would have traditionally gone to commodity beef markets like Korea, Taiwan and Japan and some would also be used for manufacturing meat. We saw there was the potential to offer a unique beef product from older cows with high eating quality and label them under a brand,” said Group Marketing & Communications Manager, Jelena Radisic.
 
Vintage Beef Co comes from British breed beef cows aged on average 5-9 years or from Wagyu beef cows ranging between 9-15 years old. It is graded into three categories based on marbling scores – Reserva MB 1-2, Galiciana MB 3+ and The Matriarch – sourced from the breeding stock of some of the finest Wagyu in Australia.

Vintage Beef Co Rib Eye on the Bone. Credit: Tim Grey.

Vintage Beef Co Rib Eye on the Bone. Credit: Tim Grey.

Vintage Beef Co’s farmers turn retired breeding cattle out to pasture where they feed only on grass. The cows further mature in the paddock and are not processed until they are at least five years of age – more than twice the age of regular beef cattle.
 
 
 

“Traditionally older meat has been viewed as lower quality. The MSA grading system allowed us to identify older cows that grade well under the MSA model and market it as the high eating quality product that it is. Because the cows are older, the meat has a rich, developed grass fed flavour alongside superb marbling,” Jelena Radisic said.

 
 
 
Husband and wife team Josh Butt and Jyoti Blencowe manage 150 acres of land in South Gippsland where they run a herd of around 60 primarily dual-purpose heritage breed cows. The wanted to pursue a beef operation that was interesting and unique as well as one that felt ethical and environmentally conscious.

 Josh and Jyoti with some of their retired cow herd in South Gippsland.

Josh and Jyoti with some of their retired cow herd in South Gippsland.

“We had read about Txuleta beef from Spain and the amazing feedback it received. We also understood that some European dairy cattle were starting to be retired for beef to meet demand for mature meat in the UK. Given we are located in a dairy region of Victoria, retiring dairy cows seemed like an appropriate choice,” Josh said.

 
 
 
“Our main breed is Fleckvieh, a dual-purpose breed originating in Central Europe and used for both beef and milk. Dual-purpose cattle have a similar frame to beef cattle. Our Txuleta 1882 cattle are a lot heavier with a live weight around 800-900kg however the yield is probably slightly lower than a beef animal with more genetic and size variability,” Josh said.

Txuleta’s main breed is Fleckvieh - a dual-purpose breed used for both beef and milk with a similar frame to a beef animal.

Txuleta’s main breed is Fleckvieh – a dual-purpose breed used for both beef and milk with a similar frame to a beef animal.

“We buy our cows directly from local dairy farmers when they are at the end of their milking life. We seek cows that are dual purpose or rarer breed that have good characteristics for mature beef. This often involves visiting the dairy farms, hand selecting appropriate cows and getting a sense of the farming operation that they come from. They retire on our farm for at least one year to gain optimum condition before being sold for beef.”
 
 
 

“We have been selling our beef through a small number of butchers that practice whole animal butchery. Ideally, the rump, loin and rib sections are dry aged for 4 weeks, which really brings out the flavour and texture of the beef.”

 
 
 
“Financially, the results have been variable with the current high price of cattle making finances more difficult. We have taken risks in embarking on this business model, although the uniqueness of this beef and the holistic social, environmental and ethical benefits currently outweigh the financial vulnerability,” Josh said.

Txuleta 1882 rib eye from a 7 year old Fleckvieh cow, dry aged for 8 weeks at Emilio's Specialty Butcher.

Txuleta 1882 rib eye from a 7 year old Fleckvieh cow, dry aged for 8 weeks at Emilio’s Specialty Butcher.

Nick Venter immigrated to Australia from Johannesburg in 2015 with a firm resolve to retire after a successful career in corporate finance and venture capital – however his general enthusiasm for new ideas and a formidable entrepreneurial spirit meant he was soon looking for opportunity.
 
“In 2016 I purchased a hobby farm with a view to bring highest quality meat to the Australian market, at a reasonable price. After reading an article on the consumption of older animals in Spain, an idea started to form and that idea became Copper Tree Farms,” Nick said.
 
In 2017, Venter approached Quentin Moxey of Australian Fresh Milk Holdings, a large Australian dairy producer. AFMH milks 13,000 Holstein Friesian cows across multiple sites, producing around 200 million litres annually.
 
 
 

“I approached AFMH and offered them a premium price for their retired dairy cows and we struck an offtake agreement for the 5-8 year old cows and Copper Tree was born. The cows are in such good condition that we didn’t feel there was any need for pasture conditioning. Once we had refined our dry ageing process, I knew we were onto something,” Nick said.

 
 
 

A range of retired beef and dairy cow rib eyes showcasing the variation in shape, size and colour.

A range of retired beef and dairy cow rib eyes showcasing the variation in shape, size and colour.

Venter approached some of Sydney’s leading chefs Lennox Hastie, Neil Perry and Sam Cain with the product and their initial response was very positive. The product is now on the menu of many top restaurants around Australia.
 
The quality of the product these forward thinking operators are producing is exceptional – however, there are still challenges in the marketing of mature-aged animals as beef. One is the perception that the meat from older animals is tough and the concept that flavour may be more important than tenderness is still a challenge. Another is the variability of the product – particularly in the dairy breeds where eating quality has not been a focus for the industry and there is such variation in size and structure of the animals.

Camden Valley Retired Jersey rib set at Vic’s Meats in Woollahra.

Camden Valley Retired Jersey rib set at Vic’s Meats in Woollahra.

“Sure, there is a chew factor but that is where the dry ageing comes in and is effective in tenderising some of those muscles – so it’s not as tough as some might perceive it to be. It’s about encouraging people to try it, to have it be prepared properly and to realise what value that product can have,” Luke concluded.

* Figures from ABS for the period of 2019-2020 financial year

Spotlight On

Back to contents

UNPACKING PADDOCK TO PLATE

 
 

As the customer continues to evolve and become more interested in where their meal is coming from, terms like ‘paddock to plate’ and ‘farm to fork’ have emerged as the serviceable catch phrase to encompass this ideology. The internal logic holds true, every item on the plate has originated from a farm somewhere.

 
 
However, when we begin to unpack the concept and how it is often promoted, the sincerity of the claim is put to test with few able to truly claim a paddock to plate offering when considering the distance between the plate, the paddock and the multiple organisations involved between the two.
 
For this piece, I wanted to explore different venues that do indeed reflect the true nature of paddock to plate – where the product used in-venue was actually produced onsite. The supply chains in these instances are not just processing and transport; they are very much a quality chain of expertise, of vision and passion and demonstrate different levels of scale.

Lisa Margan in the Margan Estate kitchen garden.

Lisa Margan in the Margan Estate kitchen garden.

Lisa and Andrew Margan established Margan Estate in the Broke Fordwich sub-region of the Hunter Valley in 1996. They are ostensibly a wine brand but also a well-established part of wine tourism in the area with a highly regarded on-farm restaurant and event space doing around 290 covers a weekend.
 
As well as their wine, they manage a one-acre kitchen garden, orchard free-range chickens, beehives, olive groves and estate reared Suffolk and Dorper lambs.
 
Lisa was inspired to produce her own lamb after a lunch using a neighbour’s lamb alongside produce from their own kitchen garden.
 
 
 

“I pulled together this lunch of beautiful spring lamb, new potatoes, all sorts of salad out of the garden and wine that we had made and I just thought, what a wonderful thing this would be and imagine being able to replicate it larger scale for our Margan guests.”

 
 
 
Their lamb project started about 15 years ago and they now manage a flock of up to 50 head at any one time. The sheep rotate through pastures and vines on the estate, operating like ‘little lawnmowers’ and play a role in the company’s environmental management program.
 
Margan Estate is on track to become organically certified and carbon neutral and the sheep are an important part of that closed loop, keeping the grass down between the vines and adding nutrient value at the same time. It’s about reducing our impact on the environment and leaving the property in good shape for our children,” Lisa said.

Joey Ingram is head chef at Margan and seized the chance to move from the city with his family just over a year ago. He comes to the Hunter via two of Sydney’s great restaurants, Tetsuya’s and Balzac. Joey says that Fergus Henderson’s Nose to Tail Eating was what led him to Matt Kemp at Balzac and fostered his love of whole beast cooking.
 
“Matt was buying whole carcases in the city way before anyone else; it was part of his English kitchen tradition.” Ingram says there was no ‘ethos’ and laughs as he imagines what Kemp actually said about such ephemeral things. “It was more about showing the skill of the chef on one plate. Using the whole thing was just good kitchen management.”
 
The traditional butchery skills learned under Kemp allowed him to develop his agri-dining style. In practice, this concept means around 90 percent of what Ingram serves over his kitchen pass comes from the estate. His main-focus is the one-hectare organic garden that dictates his five course set menu.
 
 
 

“I think that the guests can see the connection, they get to do a tour of the garden, they get to meet the lamb, see the chickens and to see the vegetables that they’re about to eat. All of that ties into what we try to do here, which is estate grown, estate made.”

 
 
 

Margan head chef Joey Ingram breaks down an estate-reared lamb.

Margan head chef Joey Ingram breaks down an estate-reared lamb.

The drought and 2020 fire-storm showed that there are challenges to establishing such an ethos and it is about fitting into the seasons and the natural production cycle. Ingram’s vineyard manager tells him when the lambs are ready and he fits in around that.
 
“It’s not really up to me, he’ll tell me that there’s some lambs going to the abattoirs next week and so I’ll need to be ready to break them down and get them onto a plate.”
 
The lambs are taken from Margan to the abattoir in Kurri Kurri where they are processed and chilled down overnight. Ingram’s butcher then picks them up in a food grade truck and brings them back.
 
“We’ll generally hang them for anywhere from seven to 10 days in our custom built dry ageing room and from there we can begin to break it down as we need it and hang some things longer. We use a combination of primary and secondary cuts and try to get a good amount of each part of the animal through the dish.”
 
When asked about the viability of their paddock to plate model – Lisa says it is more about the fact that it suits their operation and they have the space to do it.
 
“Paddock to plate isn’t going to be for everyone and it is hard to say that we do it for a cost advantage. I think it’s more a break even proposition but it suits us and it is more about the customer being able to connect with that story and to enjoy estate-reared lamb alongside estate-grown produce and wines,” Margan concludes.

Rolled saddle of lamb with garden herbs, preserved sauerkraut and mustard sauce made from the whey of Margan’s cheese making process.

Rolled saddle of lamb with garden herbs, preserved sauerkraut and mustard sauce made from the whey of Margan’s cheese making process.

Packaging tsar, Charles Hanna OAM, purchased historic Colly Creek in 2005. Established by squatter’s rights in 1830, the property was an important foundation acreage for the Liverpool Ranges. Originally clear felled by axe, it took the vision of the Hanna Pastoral Group to muster the property back to the original 5,500 acres that time and hardship had scattered.
 
Colly Creek has been developed into a property specialising in purebred Angus cattle with a focus on producing the best eating quality product for the restaurant trade. 10 years ago, Charles purchased the nearby Willow Tree Inn as a destination for his award-winning beef – and put considerable energy and investment into establishing a destination for locals and travellers.
 
Originally a fairly run-down cattle-town watering hole, the Hanna’s have added luxury rooms and a steak house called Graze. The contemporary charcoal painted inn, situated on the New England Highway, attracts a large audience who come to dine on the house-aged Colly Creek steaks and experience the bustling village of Willow Tree.

Charles Hanna OAM at Graze in Willow Tree.

Charles Hanna OAM at Graze in Willow Tree.

Managing Director of Hanna Pastoral Sam Hanna, is passionate about the process and takes great pride in what the family are achieving.
 
 
 

“We do everything onsite, from genetics and breeding to backgrounding and finishing at our own boutique feedlot operation. We’re constantly looking to improve genetics, employing the best animal and pasture management practices and utilising the benefit of an onsite finishing program where we can control what we feed the animals for the end product,” Sam said.

 
 
 
Laconic Nick Brien and his wife Leonie are quintessential cattle people, big hats and bigger hearts – happier on the back of a horse than off one. They manage Colly Creek, alongside long-term stockmen Roger Barnett and Les Palmer. While typically modest, you sense their pride, deep understanding of the land and their love of the cattle industry.
 
“Here, the animals come first. We are very much about low stress stock handling which means calmer animals, more productivity and more comfortable surrounds for the cattle so they do better, which means better eating quality beef at the end of the day,” Nick said.
 

Nick Brien and Sam Hanna at the Colly Creek onsite boutique feedlot.

Nick Brien and Sam Hanna at the Colly Creek onsite boutique feedlot.

With the improved season, Colly Creek expects around 700 calves this season. The calves enjoy the benefit of full pastures until weaning at around 8-10 months; then once they reach target weight, they head to the boutique onsite feedlot for finishing. Here they will go through a ‘backgrounding’ process that slowly introduces grain to their diet and establishes them in low-stress social groups prior to entering the feedlot.
 
Once in the feedlot they transition to a high protein, barley based diet with the cattle’s appetite dictating the ration. In around 120 days they will reach the target 600-650kg at which point they will be sent to the abattoir for processing.
 
“The 120 day grain finish that we put on the cattle is really important to the consistency of the product and to make sure that we get that intramuscular fat and fat cover for the 45 day dry ageing that ultimately benefits the eating quality of the product.”

The dry ageing room on display for diners at Graze.

The dry ageing room on display for diners at Graze.

“We probably have one of the smallest operational footprints in terms of paddock to plate – Colly Creek is two kilometres from the hotel. It’s not just about the provenance; it also allows us to serve country portions of a high quality product at country prices,” Sam said.
 
Each month, the best 25 animals are selected for the restaurant where two dry ageing rooms and a thorough menu ensure the whole carcase is utilised. Head chef Ben Davies says the paddock to plate operation is a dream come true for any chef and guests love the fact that all the beef served at the restaurant comes from within two kilometers of the hotel.
 
 
 

“These cattle are purely bred for Graze and when you’ve got such a beautiful product, you don’t really need to mess around with it. We’ve got a dry ageing room onsite and we bring 10 bodies up a week from there to hang in our restaurant dry-ageing room so people can see them.”

 
 
 
“The prime cuts are 10 percent of a body so you have to be a little bit more creative to use the whole carcase. The lovely thing here is that it’s a pub so in addition to our dry-aged steaks, we mince and dice a lot to make pies, burgers, steak sandwiches so everyone can enjoy the Colly Creek experience.”
 
“We braise our briskets down, we do our own beef ribs, we smoke all the meats for our charcuterie, we make all our own sausages, kabana, chorizo, salamis – and that’s the way we use the whole body, by educating people about all the different cuts,” Davies said.

The Graze menu creatively utilises the whole carcase so everyone can enjoy the Colly Creek experience.

The Graze menu creatively utilises the whole carcase so everyone can enjoy the Colly Creek experience.

Burnt Ends at Beerfarm is a collaboration situated in Metricup in the south west of Western Australia. The craft brewery and smokehouse sits on 160 acres where they graze around 70 head of prime Angus cattle.
 
The team at Burnt Ends, executive chef Eileen Booth, pitmaster Nathan Booth and venue manager Emma Locke believe utilising their own livestock is key for creating a premium end-product.
 
 
 

“We are passionate and humble people. Honesty and integrity is at the heart of everything we do and our ethos is encapsulated by our brand tagline ‘established for the future’. We are always striving to be sustainable and accountable for all procedures we have at the farm. Our eye is not on the past but the future,” Booth says.

 
 
 
As working partners with a brewery, this ethos is put into practice. Spent grain and yeasts from the brew process is fed to the cattle and provides extra proteins and nutrients while adding to the flavour of the meat; and acting as a supplement in the dryer months when less grass is available. Diatomaceous Earth, used in the filtering process for beer, is mixed in with the grain and the aids in controlling gut parasites. In addition, the yeast that has been filtered out contains lots of vitamins and minerals that have a positive impact on the cattle’s gut health.”
 
 
 

Beerfarm cattle are fed spent grain and yeasts from the brew process providing them with extra proteins and nutrients.

Beerfarm cattle are fed spent grain and yeasts from the brew process providing them with extra proteins and nutrients.

“In most breweries, these products are considered waste products but we consider them a major part of our cattle’s lifecycle which keeps them as healthy as they can be. This relationship between the brewery and the cattle helps manage our carbon footprint associated with traditional grazing practices and beer production. The happier and healthier we can keep the cattle and their gut, the happier we can keep ours.”
 
 
 

“Growing our own beef gives us greater clarity in the processes, enabling us to have more control of the end product. We know what they are fed, where they roam and have a very clear insight into a supply chain that has minimal impact on the animal. At this time, we cannot process our cattle on site so therefore we cannot deliver the true paddock to plate ethos, although this is in the plans for the future,” Locke said.

 
 
 
Beerfarm purchase their cattle as weaners, generally running around 70 head at a time at different age and weight groups for a consistent rotation of supply for the farm and their butcher.
 
“We aim for each animal to be between 300-350 kg on average when they go to be processed. This weight allows enough time to get the necessary fat and consistency in the size of cuts we use. It also minimises wastage as once the animal gets too big, there is a significant amount of extra trim that can’t be used.”

Beerfarm Black Angus Beef Shin - smoked for 10 hours over apple and jarrah wood and served with charred tomato and bone marrow salsa and chimichurri.

Beerfarm Black Angus Beef Shin – smoked for 10 hours over apple and jarrah wood and served with charred tomato and bone marrow salsa and chimichurri.

Once at weight, the cattle are sent to the abattoir and then to Bullsbrook Gourmet Butchers where they are hung and aged for a minimum of two weeks. Currently they send four animals per fortnight to cater for the growing demand. Burnt Ends receives the prime cuts – including a 13 week aged prime rib – and secondary cuts as well as four different types of sausages alongside mince and bones for stock and jus.
 
Pitmaster Nathan Booth says one of the biggest challenges for the team is utilising the whole animal. To offset this and in line with their commitment to reducing waste, they have established a relationship with their butcher who is able to utilise much of the trim and secondary cuts for small goods.
 
 
 

“We strive to use many of the secondary cuts within our three menus however due to the varied demographic that visits our venue this can often be extremely challenging. Day to day in our current menu we utilise bolar blade and chuck in one of our favourite dishes – smoked chopped beef tostadas. The mince is also used for our Angus burgers, alongside the trim from our briskets and beef ribs before they are smoked.”

 
 
 

Beerfarm Black Angus Ribeye is reverse seared in the offset smoker, finished over charcoal and served with cafe de paris butter.

Beerfarm Black Angus Ribeye is reverse seared in the offset smoker, finished over charcoal and served with cafe de paris butter.

“Raise The Steaks on Friday nights is where we really flex our muscles and showcase our beef to a more controlled audience in a more intimate dining setting. Here we have an opportunity to use all the major prime cuts and also secondary cuts and this menu changes on a weekly basis.”
 
“Our Smoking Saturday’s menus have been gaining fast acknowledgement for the traditional BBQ and smoking methods we use, no shortcuts. We run a variety of dishes that come directly from the pits including brisket, beef ribs, our own links that change in flavour, tacos with our beef and full barbecue platters consisting of a little bit of everything.”
 
 
 

“We also sell a range of Beerfarm Bangers available to the public that have been packaged up for us by our butcher. Like anything, these processes take time and we are always striving to do and be better. We are working on our own bresaola, pastramis and jerky currently to optimise the use of the secondary cuts. This is something we are very passionate about,” said Booth.
Slow roasted Amelia Park lamb shoulder - the most popular dish at Amelia Park where they sell 80-120 shoulders a week.

Slow roasted Amelia Park lamb shoulder – the most popular dish at Amelia Park where they sell 80-120 shoulders a week.

Amelia Park is the boutique brand of V&V Walsh based in Bunbury, Western Australia. Established by Vern and Jean Walsh in 1957, V&V Walsh grew under the guidance of two generations of the Walsh family from humble beginnings in a butcher’s shop.
 
A much larger scale production, the Amelia Park model draws on farmers across the South West of Western Australia who pasture feed to a strict quality criteria. The stock are lot fed according to conditions of the season and feedlot finished to ensure a consistent quality product all year round.
 
The state-of-the-art processing facility can process 5000 sheep per day and approximately half of this is boned and packed on-site. In addition, it can process a further 400 cattle per day, with the ability to bone and process 300 beef carcases. The abattoir employs more than 1000 people and produces more than 40 million kilograms of meat products annually, making it one of Australia’s largest meat processing plants.

Blair Allen prepares Amelia Park beef at the restaurant.

Blair Allen prepares Amelia Park beef at the restaurant.

Located amongst the vineyards of Amelia Park Wines in the Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River, Blair and Renee Allen have run the award-winning Amelia Park Restaurant since 2017. Allen’s jarrah-fired kitchen relies on local produce including some from the restaurant’s own garden with the core offering being Amelia Park branded lamb and beef.
 
Being part of an integrated boutique brand allows chef Allen the perception and marketing benefits of a paddock to plate ethos without the challenges of utilising the entire carcase.
 
 
 

“At Amelia Park Restaurant we generally showcase a primary and a secondary cut of lamb, generally the rack and the square cut shoulder. With the beef, we use the strip loin that we get in whole bone-in and dry age for four weeks in our dry ageing fridge. The slow roasted lamb shoulder is by far our most popular dish and what we are known for and we sell between 80 and 120 shoulders a week.”

 
 
 
“We have a very diverse customer base at the restaurant and our menu reflects this and is very flexible. Amelia Park lamb and beef has never let me down, it is always fresh and full of flavour and has been the cornerstone of all my menus over a long period of time,” Renee said.

Amelia Park lamb rack cooked over the jarrah-fire at Amelia Park Restaurant.

Amelia Park lamb rack cooked over the jarrah-fire at Amelia Park Restaurant.

Spotlight On

Back to contents

THE ROCHE APPROACH

 
 

Until 1994, no Australian woman was allowed to list her legal status as farmer. Instead, women on the land were officially defined as unproductive silent partners, domestics, helpmates or even farmer’s wives.
 
In December, I visited Betty and Maria Roche – two generations of farming women who showed me the diverse, innovative and at times heartbreaking role that women play in Australian agriculture. This is their story.

 
 
 
Betty Roche has lived most of her 85 years amongst the steep, rocky hills of her family property Arden. Here she has, almost single handedly, transformed the property into an enviable and viable farming operation. Betty remains a force of nature – this slight, laconic; five-foot tall woman has weathered the physical and emotional hardship of this pioneer country with fierce intelligence and pragmatism.

Betty Roche at her property Arden.

Betty Roche at her property Arden.

Located 60km from Tumut in NSW, the homestead sits just below two springs that feed Yaven Creek. The storied Snowy Mountains cattle country climbs 300 metres up out of the valley to a plateau where you can see Mt Kosiosko. Covered year round in pasture and with snow in winter – it can be both abundant and harsh.
 
Betty’s father and uncle purchased the original property in 1934 where they ran Merino sheep on the briar covered, unimproved pastures. Later, the brothers divided the property along the steep ridge splitting it in half and her father purchased an adjacent property, increasing his land size to 3,000 acres.
 
 
 

“They had to clear the briars to build the original house, a four room fibro cottage – they were as thick as the hairs on a dog’s back. They would cut them with an axe, throw them into heaps and burn them. My job was to paint the stumps with Round-Up,” Betty said.

 
 
 
Betty’s mother was ‘totally crippled’ with rheumatoid arthritis and died when she was 18 – as a result Betty also took on much of the domestic load of life at Arden. I ask her if it was a tough life for her and she responds with her firmness of purpose.
 
“I don’t know. You don’t really think about it and you don’t know any different. Lots of people say to ‘go back to good old days’ – no way, they weren’t good. We didn’t have power here – we had a kerosene fridge that we kept on the veranda because every now and then it would let fly with a belch of black smoke or catch fire. Once I kept a canary in the refrigerator box and a brown snake got in the box somehow – I went out and it had that canary halfway down its neck.”
 
Out of habit and necessity, she still keeps a bolt action .22 and a long handled shovel near the back door – ‘snake relocators’ she calls them.

Arden is located on the north west foothills of the NSW Snowy Mountains.

Arden is located on the north west foothills of the NSW Snowy Mountains.

 

“I used to come out on weekends from high school in Tumut and cook and clean and I used to do all the washing by hand. I’d go back to school and I wouldn’t have any skin left on my hands. Then we got a washing machine with a roller to put the sheets through – you had to keep your fingers out of it. But that was a big help.”

 
 
 
Betty’s father remarried about a year after her mother died. Having managed the place, cooking and cleaning for so many years, Betty decided she wasn’t going to stay and moved into town. Not long after she met and married the local service station man – her daughter Maria’s father.
 
Betty’s father had moved off the property to live in Adelong with his new wife and it wasn’t long before Betty was back to Arden where she belonged.
 
“I was living in Adelong and I hated it. I hated town. I asked my father if I could go back and live on the property and then he handed me the place. It was the fifties or the sixties and I was about 30, with one child.”

Maria and Betty Roche.

Maria and Betty Roche.

By the eighties, Betty and her husband were going through a divorce. The financial settlement was a testing time with the courts awarding 40 percent of the property’s value to Betty’s ex-husband – despite the fact she owned it outright.
 
 
 

“The law is wrong and you can quote me on that because I owned the place. He came here after we’d been married and I had to pay him out 40% value of the property. He didn’t do anything but send it broke.”

 
 
 
Her loan application with their long-term bank was denied – opportunities and access to finance for women in those days was not easy. Her local stock and station agent knew Betty and offered to guarantor her loan, cover her existing debt and provide a line of credit – on the basis of their relationship and her reputation.
 
“After that, every bale of wool that came off this place went through Dalgety’s. He didn’t ask for it but that was his payoff – and all the insurance as well. It was the right thing to do. In those days, you were able to establish those relationships. He was a good fella, got me out of trouble a number of times,” Betty said.
 
In those days, Betty says there were very few women that successfully managed properties and building her reputation was paramount. Being a female had its challenges but Betty was stoic and driven in ensuring it never held her back.
 
 
 

“I’d go to a sale, and because I was a female they would ignore me and wouldn’t even acknowledge my bid. I used to have to yell at them. It was because I was a woman but also about reputation, I had none. So I built one and now I only have to do this,” Betty says as she lifts a little finger.
Arden has been built on Betty’s determination to grow her reputation.

Arden has been built on Betty’s determination to grow her reputation.

Arden paid its way during that time through the high price of Merino wool – again being a woman posed its challenges and again, Betty pushed on.
 
 
 

“I used to have trouble with the shearers and the wool classers because I was female. I only ever sacked one man in my life and he was a shearer. I also went and became a registered wool classer so I could class my own wool – and I’m still a registered wool classer.”

 
 
 
In the mid-eighties, the wool industry crashed and Arden was forced to transition. By this time, with some foresight Betty had started improving Arden’s alpine pastures by the advent of aerial spreading of superphosphate. Native grasses were seasonal and didn’t have the nutritive value of perennial clovers – which provided the farm with greater capacity to run cattle.
 
The purchase of a line of 10 females and a bull was the beginning of Arden Angus and for a short period of time it ran it as a stud selling stud heifers with young bulls sold as a sideline. More recently, Arden has moved towards a larger scale bull operation – purchasing the best genetic bulls they can afford from stud breeders, then making those genetics available to commercial breeders.
 
 
 

Maria Roche returned home to take over management of Arden in July 2019.

Maria Roche returned home to take over management of Arden in July 2019.

Maria Roche, Betty’s daughter, returned home to take over the management of Arden when Betty became ill in July 2019. She had always wanted to come home but Betty encouraged her to have a career off the property.
 
“Mum said I had to get a career off the land and so I went nursing and worked throughout Australia then came back and worked in the local area, managing a number of hospitals. When mum became unwell, I took leave from my job to look after her and the property. So really, my dream has always been to be here.”
 
 
 

“I’ve watched mum and her ambition and dream of achieving the perfect breed – which you’ll never achieve but always strive towards. My aim is the same, to achieve that perfect cow or the perfect bull. I also aim to not be able to breed enough bulls for the demand,” Maria said.

 
 
 
 
Over the years, Betty has built a reputation as an operator who purchases the best genetics – and often at a high cost. In doing so, she has managed to build confidence in her customers because they know that at Arden, the quality is guaranteed.
 
In 2019, Maria and Betty outbid everyone at a packed auction to purchase Milwillah stud bull Nardoo N155 for $62,500 – smashing previous auction records. The bull and his genetics take Arden to the next step in their bull-breeding program.
 
“We loved his balance and great temperament. He’s flat on the back, he’s got good legs, looks neat, tidy and he’s well-muscled. That’s what you aim to breed. It’s about experience and intuition and you either have an eye for it or you don’t. You have your perfect animal in your mind and you let that inform you,” Betty said.

Betty believes in experience and intuition when it comes to selecting bulls.

Betty believes in experience and intuition when it comes to selecting bulls.

Maria says bulls like Nardoo, whilst coming at a large cost to the business, help build confidence amongst commercial breeders and push them towards their business goals.
 
“The objective of our business here is to provide top quality stud-grade Angus bulls to commercial breeders. The genetics we have here would equal many of the studs within NSW and what we are trying to do is make some of the best genetics in beef production more widely available.”
 
Investing in a bull like Nardoo would generally see a return on investment in two years once the first of his progeny have been born, raised and sold. However, in January 2020, tragedy struck at Arden when the property was devastated by fire. Tears well up in Maria’s eyes as she recalls the trauma.
 
“One of the biggest challenges that we faced here at Arden has been the bushfires. The Dunn’s Road fire burnt the entire property except for the houses and a small section around the front. We lost 208 head of cattle and 146km of fencing.”
 
 
 

“It’s that realisation of just how close to death we came. How at any moment we could have become really unstuck. It was quite a frightening experience but at the time we were running so hard you didn’t really realise. It wasn’t until later when you looked back and saw the devastation.”

 
 
 
“We still live it every day here. You go out and there are burnt trees, burnt fence lines, animals that have been burned that you find that you have missed. I suppose working on my own doesn’t help you work through that process as well as it should,” Maria said.
 
Maria planted oak trees where she buried the 208 cattle lost in the fire – a gesture that in years to come will resonate long after the evidence of the fires has disappeared.

Maria has put Arden back together after bushfire devastated the property.

Maria has put Arden back together after bushfire devastated the property.

Along with her 14-year-old son AJ, Maria has worked at a feverish physical pace to re-fence the property and get it back in working order – and to eradicate the evidence. Burnt outlines of the large gums that marched up the hill facing the homestead were a graphic reminder until recently removed by contractors.
 
 
 

“I’ve had to put this place back together and whilst it’s been tough, it’s been a huge learning curve and it’s actually pushed us ahead in what we hope to achieve here. I’ve always worked hard all my life and it is so important to get this back up and functioning. It’s all about achieving a goal,” Maria said.

 
 
 
The beautiful Arden is neat and functional and well thought out. The pasture is thick, fences straight, machinery functioning and the gates all swing. Cattle dogs that served their duty can look forward to domestic dotage. The cattle are the epitome of their breed.
 
It is a female response to a series of problems where intelligence and sensitivity take precedence over bravado and brawn – where good temperament is the most desired genetic trait. Things must be fit for purpose – as must people. As Betty says, ‘if you can’t do it well, don’t do it at all’.
 
I am fortunate to have spent two days spent with these incredible women; I was affected by their acuity, energy and their tireless human endeavour. However, their indomitable emotional and physical courage will leave the most lasting impression on me.

Maria Roche - a woman of great emotional and physical courage.

Maria Roche – a woman of great emotional and physical courage.

Spotlight On

Back to contents

WHAT DOES SUSTAINABILITY TASTE LIKE?

 
 

The current global population sits at 7.8 billion – an estimated 800 million do not have enough food to sustain them daily.
 
The objective of agriculture is to feed the world now and into the future – but with the population already stretching available arable resources and heading towards nine billion by 2050 – feeding the world is a colossal task.

Listen to Mark’s audio reading of this story.

 

Feeding the world creates a tension between agriculture, efficiency and the economy in being environmentally sensitive but without sacrificing economic viability. Can we be economically viable without cost to the environment? It is a tension between the past, present and future and a question for our livelihoods.
 
In recent decades, there has been enormous growth in livestock production, driven by increasing demand for premium brands from a burgeoning middle class in developing nations, which is putting additional pressure on agricultural systems.

A selection of beef from premium Australian brands passionate about sustainability.

A selection of beef from premium Australian brands passionate about sustainability.

In agricultural terms, sustainability is the pursuit of economic growth without depletion of environmental resources. It is also, in a holistic sense, about the human factor. It is about the ongoing ability for farmers to provide for our very existence; an ability under threat from the degradation of arable land through human activity that continues to deplete our most valuable resource; the soil.
 
The twentieth century saw increased pressure of population growth and the implementation of post-war industrial agricultural. Practices like fertilisation and use of pesticides; monoculture cropping and intensive livestock production; urbanisation, deforestation and increasing use of fossil fuels – designed to feed and fuel a growing world – have stressed the world’s arable lands to the point of failure.
 
 
 

The World Economic Forum’s top five long-term global risks are all environment-related. With that, sustainable agriculture, and perhaps more pertinently regenerative agriculture, is set to take centre stage. The concept of sustainable agriculture is not new – but it is the essential ingredient in feeding the world.

 
 
 
Regenerative agriculture is a set of farmland management practices that go beyond sustainable farming to rebuild soil health, a key solution to combating climate change and recapturing carbon. There is a broad agreement that weather patterns are changing and that agricultural systems must evolve to meet the challenges of an increasingly volatile climate.

Regenerative agriculture rebuilds soil health - a key solution in capturing carbon.

Regenerative agriculture rebuilds soil health – a key solution in capturing carbon.

Beef production, like any agricultural activity, has an environmental footprint and is a contributor to CO2 emissions. However, the Australian beef industry believes that it can not only improve the operating environment, but also actively reduce emissions to operate in a carbon neutral capacity. In fact, the Australian beef industry has set the ambitious goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.
 
I spoke to several leading Australian beef brands about what sustainability means to them – what does it look like in practice and ultimately, what does it taste like?
 
The Australian beef industry, through its Australian Beef Sustainability Framework, defines sustainability as the production of beef in a manner that is socially, environmentally and economically responsible by caring for natural resources, people and the community, ensuring the health and welfare of animals, and driving continuous improvement.

Greenham, the business behind brands like Cape Grim, follows the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework’s definition of sustainability throughout its operations.

Greenham, the business behind brands like Cape Grim, follows the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework’s definition of sustainability throughout its operations.

Many Australian beef producers feel that a regenerative approach to pastoral management and grazing is part of the solution. Regenerative farming is rediscovering the benefits of traditional practices and awakening to land management techniques suited to our environment, not those we inherited from our European forebears.
 
This new generation of farmers have a conscious radical pragmatism that comes from generations on the land. Rather than being evangelical outliers, they recognise that without immediate change, the future is finite. These farmers are using tradition, technology and science to ensure the long-term viability of their families, the industry and their largest financial asset, the land.
 
Three years of drought tested the capacity of agricultural systems and their ability to withstand such a prolonged dry spell. The choice was two horned – maintain stock levels though the purchase of feed and continuing to graze [to the point of degradation] or maintain the natural feed and soil holding capacity by selling stock at record low prices and restocking when things turned around. Both choices hinged on the desperate hope that seasonal rains would return.
 

Rob Lennon of Gundooee Organics.

Rob Lennon of Gundooee Organics.

Rob Lennon runs a herd of grass-fed wagyu at Gundooee Organics located about an hour out of Mudgee NSW. Despite three years of the worst drought in living memory and savage bushfires destroying his pasture, they were able to regenerate quickly with the return of seasonal rainfall.
 
 
 

“It is pointless to sit there hoping for rain. You have to be prepared for wind or dry or rain. That is a big part of what regenerative agriculture is. It is about resilience. I’m a microbe farmer. I don’t grow beef, I grow soil,” Rob said.

 
 
 
This mercurial statement can be taken literally, as Rob Lennon, like many like-minded farmers, recognises that biodiversity starts at a micro level and that soil is the fundamental basis of a successful agro ecosystem.
 
Rob puts this ability down to the 15 years he has spent ‘growing his soil’ – giving them the capacity to recover and allowing the farm a relatively quick return to positive cashflow.

Organic grass-fed wagyu on Gundooee farm.

Organic grass-fed wagyu on Gundooee farm.

Founded in 2017, Provenir holds the belief that the best quality meat comes from livestock that are raised to the highest of welfare standards. Their farm gate business model utilises a transportable, fully integrated meat processing plant that not only eliminates unnecessary stress on livestock, it gives them a rare insight into practices across a variety of properties and allows them to make an objective assessment on beef quality.
 
 
 

“What we are doing is not new – we are practicing an ancient tradition of processing at the point of production. In our experience the regenerative farmers we have worked with in southern NSW they are some of the most productive, economically viable farmers, and are also relaxed and happy people finding balance in nature, farming and life,” said founder Jayne Newgreen.

 
 
 

Provenir’s on-farm processing plant eliminates unnecessary stress on livestock.

Provenir’s on-farm processing plant eliminates unnecessary stress on livestock.

Flinders Island Meat was established by the Madden family in 2010 in the middle of Bass Straight. Now called Finders + Co, the multi brand meat-company supplies some of the best chefs and retailers in the country – along with the bold claim of being carbon neutral. On 1 December 2018, Flinders + Co became the first meat company in the world to fully offset all carbon emissions.
 
“We are about more than just meat, we want to ask the hard questions and tackle the big issues. Issues of sustainability, ethics and the environment. Questions of provenance, health and humanity. Ever since the advent of agriculture, humans have been rewarded when they work hand in hand with their environment. Equally, they are punished when they have not balanced the environmental ledger and caused damage to their own habitat,” said Managing Director James Madden.

James and David Madden of Flinders & Co - the first meat company in the world to fully offset carbon emissions.

James and David Madden of Flinders & Co – the first meat company in the world to fully offset carbon emissions.

“I believe the more we explore solutions with an open mind, the more likely we are to become more and more economically viable. Sometimes farmers can be cynical of new strategies or approaches – I know this first hand having grown up on a farm. Even if there is a more efficient, better suited approach to doing something, sometimes they are more comfortable continuing to do things the old way.”
 
 
 

“It is important that we continue to demonstrate that regenerative principles can drive greater profitability on farm. I think it is very important that we don’t characterise regenerative agriculture as a single mode of operation or a single set of rules. It is the principles that are important and everyone should be encouraged to pick and choose as many of them that suit their individual situation,” Madden said.

 
 
 
While yield has been the traditional metric for farmers and graziers it does not tell the entire story. Regenerative agriculture can increase profitability through a significant decrease in the cost of external inputs, such as fertilisers, chemical inputs and fuel costs, and an increased end market value. Increasing the value of the land asset at the same time is the financial cream on top.
 
Beef is big business. Australia is one of the world’s largest exporters and most efficient producers of beef – and was the world’s most valuable beef exporter in 2019 with total exports generating AUD $10.8 billion. However, producer profits tend to be low, affecting the ability to withstand unexpected shocks such as drought. Coupled with a range of social and environmental pressures – the Australian beef industry recognised a need to evolve the world-leading Australian Beef Sustainability Framework was established.
 
“As a major land user, the beef industry has a close relationship with the environment and is particularly exposed to environmental risks such as climate variability. The industry prospers through maintaining a healthy environment and thriving ecosystem, including soil, vegetation, water and air. The beef industry is committed to enhancing the ecosystems that foster productivity, while fulfilling its role as environmental stewards,’ part of the Framework reads.
 
While strict regenerative criteria may be challenging for large scale producers, the Framework does highlight the same issues and a similar response. The industry needs to adapt to the changing environment by improving land management practices through the mitigation of nutrient and sediment loss and efficient use of water as a means to mitigating and managing climate change risk.

Cattle on a NAPCo property in northern Australia - NAPCo launched Australia’s first carbon neutral certified beef brand in 2019.

Cattle on a NAPCo property in northern Australia – NAPCo launched Australia’s first carbon neutral certified beef brand in 2019.

Five Founders, launched in 2019, is a subsidiary of one of Australia’s largest and oldest cattle companies, The North Australian Pastoral Company. NAPCo manages a herd of 200,000 cattle, across six million hectares of land throughout Queensland and the Northern Territory [some 1% of Australia’s land mass].
 
Sales General Manager James Carson says that they have achieved improved productivity through carefully managing soils and grasses using appropriate livestock grazing practices and improvements to their cattle herd through an internal genetics program.
 
In 2019, Five Founders became Australia’s first carbon neutral certified beef brand, through their long-term approach to vegetation and land management, and are on a journey to continue to reduce their carbon footprint through many initiatives including the shift to renewable energy sources and biodiversity across stations and methane reduction through feed additives.
 
 
 

“Regenerative agriculture is more economically viable in some segments of agriculture than others. For a traditional grass finished cattle producer, regenerative agriculture throws up fewer challenges than a traditional grain grower for example. There is no doubt that regenerative agriculture is attracting more interest and as more participants enter this space, viability will become more common place.”

 
 
 

NAPCo's James Carson says that moving from traditional to regenerative agriculture requires a change in mindset, practices and inputs.

NAPCo’s James Carson says that moving from traditional to regenerative agriculture requires a change in mindset, practices and inputs.

“Moving from traditional to regenerative agriculture requires a change in mindset, practices and inputs. Consumers want to feel good about their purchase decision so by providing a sustainable option to them makes perfect sense. Customers in developed markets have the disposable income to pay for this attribute and it is a growing market,” Carson said.
 
Greenham – the business behind beef brands like Cape Grim and Bass Strait – works with the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework to follow its definition of sustainability in their operations. Their approach involves looking at the whole picture across animal welfare, economic resilience, environmental management and community.

Greenham looks at sustainability as the whole picture across animal welfare, economic resilience, environmental management and community.

Greenham looks at sustainability as the whole picture across animal welfare, economic resilience, environmental management and community.

“Grass-fed beef from sustainably grazed pastures reduces top soil erosion and decreases the emission of methane and greenhouse gasses, while removing carbon dioxide from the atmospheres. Our brand Cape Grim uses only cattle sourced from Tasmanian farms, which operate in a very sustainable environment with 80% of the islands energy requirements coming from renewable sources.”
 
 
 

“In essence, to regenerate is to renew or to restore. In beef production, our farmers are continually restoring their land and increasing welfare practices as this is fundamental to producing high quality grass-fed beef and ultimately their business productivity,” said Marketing Manager Jelena Radisic.

 
 
 
Provenir’s Jayne Newgreen is pragmatic that no matter how ‘sustainable’ a beef brand is, it will count for nothing if the eating quality is not there to back up sustainable practices. Jayne says that consumers will not sacrifice quality over the notion of sustainability.
 
“Consumers are looking for more than just a catchphrase and ‘sustainable’ is not a clear definition. The restauranteurs and customers that Provenir supplies are incredibly savvy, they want more and deserve more than a catchphrase. We give customers knowledge and empower them to make up their own mind as to how our vision of sustainability and regenerative farming fits into their ethos of sustainable beef,” she said.

Provenir’s Jayne Newgreen says sustainability will count for nothing if the quality doesn’t back it up.

Provenir’s Jayne Newgreen says sustainability will count for nothing if the quality doesn’t back it up.

James Madden believes there is a financial imperative to sustainable Australian beef and an opportunity to transform the market.
 
“Developed markets such as the US, Europe, Japan and Singapore are increasingly placing a higher and higher importance on the sustainability attributes of products. If we are able to differentiate ourselves within these markets, then it is just another step for our industry to continue to transform from a commodity based market to a branded product based market, with better premiums to match,” he said.
 
At the Wilmot Cattle Co in NSW’s New England Tablelands, manager Stuart Austin has a long held passion for holistic management and regenerative agriculture.
 
 
 

“We know that diversity in our system is critical and we have a commitment to the ecological improvement of our land. There is a symbiotic relationship between soil, plants and animals and our role is to enable that to ensure that our soil is active, functioning and healthy.”

 
 
 
“It is a constant learning journey what we are doing. I want to share with others for their betterment and for the betterment of our industry and fundamentally for the betterment of our world. We know that the more of our industry that can uptake regenerative agriculture principles that will put more carbon in our soils across Australia and across the world. And we will be contributing to the reversal of climate change,” Stuart said.
 
With leading brands and producers like these – and an industry committed to the continual improvement of itself across a suite of sustainability indicators – what does sustainability taste like?
 
It tastes like hope for the future.

What’s Good in the Hood

Back to contents

Each issue we explore a new neighbourhood for the best eats and treats in the local community.

SYDNEY’S INNER WEST

WITH MYFFY RIGBY

 

If anyone is qualified to show us the best food in the neighbourhood it is Good Food Guide Editor and all-around fabulous food fanatic Myffy Rigby. We took to the streets of Sydney’s vibrant and vivacious Inner West to check out Myffy’s favourite local spots from epic Egyptian eats to “the best burger in Australia” on a sunny rooftop – here’s what’s good in the Inner West hood.

Our What’s Good in the Hood guest host Myffy Rigby.

CAFE PACI

Beef Tongue Taco

 

Cafe Paci’s Pasi Petanen and the basis of their delicious taco – the beef tongue is brined, poached, shaved and then cooked over coals.

The final product – Beef tongue taco at Cafe Paci

MAPO GELATO

Avocado Sorbet & Fior Di Latte Gelato

 

Architect turned gelato god Matteo Pochintesta.

Avocado Sorbet and Fior Di Latte Gelato at Mapo.

CAIRO TAKEAWAY

Charcoal Lamb Pita Pocket &
Hawawshi – spiced mince flatbread

 

Cooked to order kofta over coals at Cairo Takeaway and Hawawshi aka crispy pockets of goodness – spiced mince flatbread with onions and peppers.

Cairo Takeaway’s charcoal lamb pita pocket stuffed with house pickles, salad and tahina.

OXFORD TAVERN

Brisket, Hot Links & BBQ Sides

 

In today’s edition of MJ and Myffy eating things – it’s brisket ladies and gentlemen.

Oxford Tavern’s Black Betty smoker pumps out deliciousness like this smoked brisket with hot links and classic BBQ sides.

LP’S QUALITY MEATS & BELLA BRUTTA

Beef Cheek with polenta and garlic & parsley oil

 

LP’s has reopened for weekend lunches in addition to the wholesale smallgoods business with products like this beef bresaola in the charcuterie room at LPs.

Bella Brutta’s beef cheek special – decadently tender beef cheeks with wickedly buttery polenta and parsley and garlic oil.

MARY’S ON TOP

Mary’s Burger

 

Jake Smyth spinning yarns and flipping burgs at the new Mary’s On Top on the Lansdowne rooftop.

The construction of burger condiments is an actual science.

The Mary’s burger – “the best burger in Australia” according to Myffy.

Editors’ Letters

Back to contents

Editors’
Letters

This issue comes with mixed sentiment as we warmly celebrate our tenth issue and simultaneously come to terms with COVID-19, its impact on the foodservice sector and the flow-on effect to suppliers and producers.
 
From a red meat industry perspective – we are fortunate to remain operational, while the markets for Australian beef and lamb fluctuate with continual changes in demand and behaviour at home and around the globe.
 
Originally intended to align with Australian Beef the Greatest’s sponsorship of the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams for Tokyo 2020, this issue has been through its own raft of changes. The postponement of the Olympics, an international travel ban and severely restricted domestic travel, saw us bring the focus squarely back home.
 
Our guest chef editor Josh Raine hails from one of the country’s most renowned restaurants – the tenacious Tetsuya’s, where many a successful chef has done their time. Before the impact of COVID-19, this national treasure was still at the top of the restaurant game, continually evolving and still, after 30 years, a drawcard for customers around the world seeking the ultimate in fine dining experience.
 
Sticking with the Japanese theme, we took a trip to Mayura Station, one of the beef producers proudly featured on the Tetsuya’s menu. Wagyu is the fastest growing breed of beef in Australia and Mayura Station has been a key player from the start. Their fully vertically integrated approach – with their very own on-farm restaurant – and a feeding regime with special ingredients like chocolate and lollies – makes the Mayura Station especially sweet.
 
Whilst this issue was to be filled with food, inspiration and tales of Tokyo – we are proud instead to bring you a wealth of Japanese inspired cuisine from our hospitality community right here at home. From time-honoured traditions to inspired innovations, the finesse of fine dining to the satisfaction of a stadium sandwich – we hope the stories of your comrades, their kitchens and their cooking bring you some ISO inspiration.
 
 

Mary-Jane Morse
 
Meat & Livestock Australia
[email protected]
@_raremedium

Earlier this year, before COVID-19 changed the shape of hospitality, I went on an eye-opening trip across the rolling cliffs of the Limestone Coast in South Australia. The bushfires were raging at this point and after flying over much devastation to get there, it was incredible to see the lushness of the area.
 
My good friend MJ had invited me on this trip, to see how wagyu cattle are produced in Australia. I first met MJ traveling on a produce tour through Queensland when I was a finalist in the Appetite for Excellence program. Coming from a family of farmers, she is incredibly knowledgeable and her awareness of the beef industry is second to none. I remember coming away from that trip and feeling inspired, with a hunger to develop my own knowledge.
 
My first job was in a local butcher at the ripe old age of 14 – so you could say that the meat industry has been influential throughout my life and I learnt the tricks of the trade early on. When MJ presented me with the opportunity for a trip to delve deeper into wagyu – my ideal location was Mayura Station – a product that has been influential in my style of cooking over the past seven years.
 
When I moved from the UK and started working with Australian produce, Mayura Station set the benchmark high. I first discovered it as head chef at Urbane where I chose to work with the underrated oyster blade. This amazing piece of meat has an unbelievable flavour profile and people just kept coming back for more. It was on the menu for two years and over that time, Urbane went from two hats to three and I got to work with some of the best producers in Australia.
 
One of the first products I wanted to bring to Tetusya’s was Mayura Station beef – it truly is my go-to and the basis for our signature Ponzu Wasabi dish. I am exceptionally passionate and appreciative of this product and have now seen first-hand the dedication that goes into its creation. It’s not a job – it’s a lifestyle and Mayura Station has given me the most incredible artwork. All I have to do is frame it.
 
Visiting Mayura Station was definitely a highlight for me in the making of this issue and I highly recommend you check out the story and the video about this amazing beef.
 
Whilst I was obviously disappointed that we couldn’t travel to Japan as originally intended, our trip through Queensland trying incredible beef dishes at various Japanese restaurants was really fun and it was great to see the calibre of cooking and the range of cuts being used.
 
I hope you find some things in this issue to keep you inspired about your craft and your cooking during isolation and beyond.
 

Josh Raine

Executive Chef
Tetsuya’s
@chefjoshraine
@tetsuyasydney

Copyright: this publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN 39 081 678 364 (MLA).

Editors’ Letters

Back to contents

Editors’
Letters

Welcome to issue eight of our seasonal e-magazine. I feel incredibly privileged to share with you the stories of Australian beef and lamb from paddock to plate – from our inspiring producers and formidable chef editors to the exceptional beef and lamb dishes on menus around the country and the world.
 
This issue is dedicated to beautiful beef and the abundance of opportunities when utilising the whole bountiful beef carcase. Common themes weaved throughout the issue shine a light on the prospects and possibilities when communication and collaboration occur through the supply chain.
 
In planning for this issue, our guest chef editor Clayton Wells from Automata and A1 Canteen in Sydney, expressed an interest in finding out why he can’t always get the cuts he wants when he wants them and so we journey into the Australian beef supply chain for answers. What we find, which I think is more important than answers, are opportunities. With more open communication between producer, processor and customer and a willingness to action change – those opportunities are quite literally endless. It all starts with a conversation. So what do you have to say?
 
Our feature story on the Grand Hyatt Singapore’s Natural Fall program shows how things can be done differently – all it takes is an idea and an appetite to make it work. Now importing nine full Australian beef carcases every three weeks, including bones and offal, this story looks at a different procurement model for beef and the swag of benefits that come with it. This incredible story sets a benchmark for what is possible when passionate chefs collaborate with a proactive processor. It rewards producers for the exceptional work they do and provides customers with better quality, better value and a greater range of beef cuts on menu. Did we mention one price per kilo for beef?
 
This issue is literally packed from end to end – or more pertinently from tongue to tail – with ideas and inspiration for utilising all parts of the beef carcase. Our On the Menu section is an ode to the beef carcase with dishes utilising non-loin cuts from the tongue to the tail and everything in between. It’s inspiring to see so many chefs exploring life beyond the loin, getting creative with cuts and educating and engaging diners with the possibilities of Australian beef in the process.
 
We are all busy and sometimes convenience trumps creativity but how do we move forward if we don’t challenge the status quo? In this issue, we encourage you to think a little differently, collaborate and communicate more openly and create your own opportunities for change.
 
Don’t look back – you’re not going that way. The future is now and it’s bright. How are you going to shine?

 

Mary-Jane Morse
 
Meat & Livestock Australia
[email protected]
@_raremedium

When MJ and I started brainstorming, I wanted to understand why we chefs have issues obtaining less popular cuts on a regular basis considering the size of the beef industry here in Australia. Where does all the offal go? I have always wanted to be able to serve cuts like beef heart & veal sweetbreads to my customers, but I always end up at a roadblock when it comes to consistency in supply.

We headed up to Casino, NSW to the Northern Co-operative Meat Company (NCMC) where we met with Mark Manning and took a tour of their farms and processing facilities. It was inspiring to see the co-operative model working so well, especially in times of drought and seeing how they manage the land to still produce great consistent pasture-raised beef. Part of our conversations led us to discuss my issues as a chef with supply and I soon realised it really is just about establishing a relationship with people closer to the product.

A few weeks later we headed down to Tassie, which is one of my favourite spots, to basically try and eat every beef dish in the state. It started with a beef pie, then a bunch of excellent meals and good times and ended with…more pies.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed being part of it, I hope this opens up more conversations and opportunities for us all when it comes to our wonderful Aussie beef.

Love your work MJ & Macca.

 

Clayton Wells
 
Automata & A1 Canteen
@c_j_wells
@automata_syd
@a1canteen

Copyright: this publication is published by Meat & Livestock Australia Limited ABN 39 081 678 364 (MLA).

Guest Chef Profile

Back to contents

Talented young chef Josh Raine follows a long line of leading chefs to head up the kitchen at iconic Sydney restaurant Tetsuya’s.
 
For 30 years, Tetsuya’s has set a benchmark for fine dining in the harbour city and helped put Australia on the map as a destination for world-class dining.

With a swathe of Australia’s best chefs coming up through the Tetsuya’s ranks including Martin Benn, Darren Robertson, Clayton Wells, Luke Powell and many more – Josh recognises he has big shoes to fill. But as they say, if the shoe fits, wear it – and the boy from Oxfordshire is certainly wearing it well.
 
We visited Josh at Tetsuya’s for a behind-the-scenes look into one of Sydney’s most well-regarded kitchens and the role Australian beef plays on the intricate and exquisite eight-course degustation-only menu.

“I would like to thank the farmers for their hard work and passion – it actually makes my job easier because you are giving me such an amazing product. All your hard work doesn’t get lost – we applaud you and thank you so much for your incredible product.”

Tetsuya’s executive chef Josh Raine.

Josh got his first taste for Aussie fine dining working with Shane Osborn – the first Australian chef to be awarded one and two Michelin stars – at his restaurant Pied-a-Terre in London. Josh arrived in Australia to work at Urbane in Brisbane where he was head chef for four years before moving to Tetsuya’s where he now manages a team of 17 who work together to keep the icon evolving.

Tetsuya’s utilises grass-fed, grain-fed and wagyu beef depending on the menu and the season but generally opts for high marbling across a range of cuts. Beef at Tetsuya’s is wet aged for two months then further aged for two weeks on Himilayan salt blocks to reduce moisture content and allow for quicker cooking whilst intensifying flavours.

At Tetsuya’s the focus is on Japanese technique with French influences – combining the best of both worlds to showcase premium Australian produce. The eight-course menu is heavily centred on seasonality – adapting to focus on the best seasonal produce – with a slightly different version offered across each of the three different dining rooms.

Rangers Valley Black Onyx Short Rib is brined for eight hours and cooked at 60 degrees for 30 hours, then pressed and portioned. For service, it is charred on the yakitori and finished with fermented pickled shiitake powder. Served with charred shishito pepper, enoki and baby leek.

Mayura Station Wagyu Sirloin is cooked over coals then topped with a ponzu veil and served with Tasmanian wasabi, eshallot, applewood smoked cipollini onions and marigold leaf.

Cape Grim Grassfed Tenderloin is cooked over the hibachi grill then left to rest in rendered wagyu fat before a final flash over the coals with miso butter and served with sugar snap peas, charred asparagus and pea tendrils.

Producer Story

Back to contents
Originally used for labour in mining, forestry, transportation and rice farming in Japan, the breeding characteristics of wagyu cattle were focused on strength and endurance, resulting in large amounts of intramuscular fat stores which served as a readily available energy source for the cattle.

 
 
These characteristics now translate to the rich, decadent and tender beef that customers around the world have grown to love. The wagyu name has become synonymous with luxury – a breed of cattle renowned for its exceptional eating experience and unparalleled marbling.

Decadently marbled wagyu beef on the menu at Tetsuya’s in Sydney.

Identifying the potential of wagyu as a premium beef product, key players in the Australian beef industry diligently paved the way for the influx of premium Australian wagyu now on the plates of diners around the world.
 
These trailblazers were instrumental in importing closely-guarded wagyu genetics to Australia during a small window of time between the mid-1980s through to the 1990s. Names like Blackmore, Westholme (AACo), Sher Wagyu, Robbins Island, Hughes Pastoral and Mayura Station have made Australian wagyu the booming industry it is today.

95% of Australian wagyu production is derived from Japanese Black genetics – one of four breeds of Japanese cattle classified in Japan as ‘wagyu’ – which translates to ‘Japanese cow’. Pictured is a wagyu bull at Mayura Station.

Australia is now the second-largest producer of wagyu in the world – coming in only behind Japan. With highly integrated supply chains that optimise and ensure quality from paddock to plate, Australian wagyu is a trusted source of premium luxury beef. Wagyu is also the fastest growing breed of beef in Australia with our national herd expected to increase to 600,000 in the next five years.

Producer Story – Sweet Home Mayura

Back to contents

Producer Story: The Way to Wagyu

Sweet Home
Mayura

We visited Mayura Station on South Australia’s Limestone Coast with Tetsuya’s executive chef Josh Raine to learn more about the Mayura Station story and its unique chocolate fed wagyu beef.
“At Mayura Station, we’re about producing a beef product with the ultimate wow factor. It’s not just about being really tender, my goal is to produce beef with a wonderful flavour profile and it all comes off the back of being focused on producing the best quality beef we can.”

 
 

Scott de Bruin, Mayura Station.

Wagyu demonstrates exceptional and consistent eating quality with 75% of wagyu graded by Meat Standards Australia in the top 5% of Australian beef while the remaining 25% graded in the top 1%.

Mayura Station is a family business first established in 1845 that has been specialising in full-blood wagyu cattle since the mid-late 90s. The business now runs just over 8,000 head of full-blood wagyu cattle.

Mayura Station is a fully vertically integrated business focussed on having its own unique provenance. The cattle are born and bred at Mayura Station, they live their entire lives on the property and the majority of the feed and fodder they consume is grown on the property. Here Managing Director Scott de Bruin shows Tetsuya’s chef Josh Raine one of the crops.

The Mayura Station breeding herd is split into two distinct herds – an Autumn breeding herd and a spring breeding herd – ensuring a year-long supply of calves to feed into its production process and provide consistent product year-round.

After Mayura calves are born they spend the first six months with their mother out on pasture before weaning. The cattle are then moved into a free-range feeding program to prepare them for the feedlot – this is called backgrounding. They are still free to roam out in the paddocks but have their nutrition requirements delivered to them daily. Over a period of 12 months, the cattle will graduate through three different feeding rations tailored to optimise their growing at different stages. Based on maize silage grown on the property, grain is slowly added to the rations until the cattle reach 18 months of age.

At 19 months the Mayura cattle enter the onsite finishing feedlot – the aptly named Mayura Moo Cow Motel. The large barn has sawdust floors and cattle can move inside or outside as they please. Three feed rations are fed over a period of eight months – a grower ration during the growth period, a marbling ration to facilitate and optimise the development of intramuscular fat and a flavour ration for the last three months.

Renowned for its uniquely flavoured beef, Mayura’s special flavour ration includes chocolates, biscuit meal and lollies (in addition to grains, silage and foliage) which gives the beef a pronounced sweetness and nuttiness.

Wagyu fat has a low melting point of around 28 degrees celsius and each cut has its own unique flavour profile and different levels of richness from the varying levels of intramuscular fat.

Mark Wright, Chef and Manager of Mayura Station’s award-winning onsite restaurant The Tasting Room, says the best thing about wagyu is being able to pretty much grill everything on the carcase. Pictured here is a chuck tail flap on the menu at The Tasting Room.

Guest Chef Profile

Back to contents

It can be a fairly common sentiment across media and industry to lay blame on the younger generation for the chef shortage in Australia. We hear all too often how young people don’t want to put in the hard yards, that they are entitled or that the ‘Masterchef’ effect sees them chasing only a quick rise to stardom.
 
Much like any industry, sport or profession – within the foodservice community there will always be those with natural skills, those who work hard to learn and those who will get by on just enough. Then, there will also be the special ones, the future leaders, the inspired – those who will drive the future of food and the foodservice industry.
 
This is their story.

Appetite for Excellence 2019 winners – Luke Piccolo, Bianca Johnston and Olivia Evans reunite for a special collaborative dinner showcasing lamb at Limone Dining in Griffith.

In the regional town of Griffith, six hours south west of Sydney in the Riverina region of NSW, Rare Medium proudly brought together the three winners of the 2019 Appetite for Excellence Awards for a special collaborative dinner showcasing local lamb and regional produce.
 
The one-off dinner sold out in less than two hours – a testament to Young Restauranteur of the Year Luke Piccolo and the reputation of his restaurant Limone Dining and the appetite of the local community to experience the talents of the trio.
 
Limone Dining is an acclaimed 45-seat regional restaurant that has been open for four years. Built by Luke’s family from reclaimed materials, the stunning venue is constructed from old primary production buildings – aligning to the restaurant’s ethos of sustainability and locality.

“Our menu is about showcasing local and utilising what’s in season which allows us to really change with the seasons and work with what’s available to us on a daily basis. We’re fortunate to be surrounded by amazing producers where we can get super fresh, high quality produce at our doorstep and we showcase those producers on a daily basis with our regional cuisine.”

The stunning Limone was built over eight years by Luke’s family from reclaimed materials.

One such producer is the 20-acre Piccolo Family Farm – run by Luke’s parents Peter and Rosa who also own and operate local café Miei Amici. Just six minutes’ drive from the restaurant, the farm produces the majority of herbs, garnishes, fruits and vegetables used on the Limone and Miei Amici menus creating an authentic paddock to plate experience for diners.
 
“I think regional dining is really important and it’s the reason why I actually moved back to Griffith. I saw the opportunity to bring everything I’d learnt working at restaurants in Sydney and Italy back to Griffith and utilise all the produce and ingredients we have here. And to do it in a really nice, relaxed setting, which I don’t think you can really find in a city area.”
 
Luke’s passion for the local area and the people and produce it represents cannot be underestimated and the young trailblazer has set about ensuring more of the world knows about it. In addition to running Limone Dining, Luke also runs large-scale events at Piccolo Family Farm including A Day in the Orchard – a festival of food, music and arts and The Long Lunch – an afternoon of regional food and beverages.

Produce is picked daily from Piccolo Family Farm to be used at Limone.

“We’re always looking forward and we’re always looking to improve what we do. The growth of the restaurant and the business is really important. I honestly think we’re still just scratching the surface of this region, it’s quite an untouched area, not a lot of people know about it as a tourist destination. So for me I think it’s about building on that and drawing people to the region and really showing them what we do and the produce that we have.”

Luke and Bianca breakdown the lamb carcases for the lamb showcase dinner at Limone.

Smoked lamb leg, heart and liver – the collaborative menu showcased the whole lamb carcase.

Bringing together fellow 2019 Appetite for Excellence winners – Young Chef of the Year Bianca Johnston and Young Waiter of the Year Olivia Evans for a collaborative dinner at Limone was another opportunity for Luke to promote his beloved Riverina region whilst also showcasing the talents of two of the industry’s brightest young stars to his hometown.
 
The two-day collaboration began at Piccolo Family Farm with a day sampling home-grown produce and menu testing with two lamb carcases from local producer Sally Jones. Working through the carcase, Luke and Bianca devised a menu that showcased the entire lamb with a range of dishes designed to celebrate the diversity of the protein whilst Olivia hand selected a range of local wines to match.
 
“Using the whole carcase is really important in respect to the whole process and to the animal but also it’s vital as lamb is so valuable. For me personally, I think that meat should be expensive because of the effort that goes into producing it and it makes you value it more and utilise as much as you can. It’s nice that we can showcase the whole animal to our guests with this menu that we’ve created for the dinner.”
 
For Luke, the opportunity to collaborate with the girls and share their talents with his hometown community exemplified the importance of the Appetite for Excellence program.
 
“The Appetite for Excellence program has been really pivotal in what we do. The networking was fantastic; I was introduced to so many amazing people doing very similar things but all over Australia. Meeting the sponsors and the industry was a great opportunity to actually create relationships and now we are building off that and things like this collaboration dinner.”

 “It’s really cool to have Bianca and Olivia coming all this way to put on an amazing dinner using our local lamb. This area grows some super high quality pasture fed lamb and we’re lucky to be able to put that on a plate at this special collaboration dinner.”

Day two saw the trio come together at Limone for the first time, familiarising themselves with an entirely different kitchen and set up, a completely new team and an event that was entirely their own. Seamlessly they worked together throughout the day to put on a flawless event that was in such high demand that some guests had travelled five hours to attend.
 
Young Chef of the Year Bianca Johnston from Tom McHugo’s in Hobart saw the collaboration as a unique opportunity to be able to work with two like-minded individuals who live and work in completely different places to her.
 
“I’m really excited to come together and bounce around ideas with people who I normally wouldn’t be working with and to learn about the different produce that is so prolific here. Obviously the lamb is really different to the stuff I work with at home so just coming to a different region and seeing the community here and working with the produce is so exciting.”

Bianca on the pass with Limone apprentice chef Liam Sibillin.

Lamb loin and sausage in broth.

“The style of cooking at Tom McHugo’s is pretty simple, it’s all about how the food tastes and creating comfort and that sense of nostalgia and that’s what I’m trying to bring to this collaborative menu. It’s pretty daunting to go into a fine dining restaurant but I think this dinner is more about the community coming together and just celebrating what this region has to offer.”
 
“I’m just looking forward to having a fun time in the kitchen with Luke and success to me will just be seeing everyone out there having good times, smiling, enjoying the wine, enjoying the food. I think it’s all about fun.”

Snacks of lamb intercostal skewers and cavolo nero with fennel.

Young Waiter of the Year Olivia Evans from the tiny 12 seat Fleet in Brunswick Heads was excited to be ingrained into a new region and to discover regional nuisances outside those she is used to.
 
“I’m excited about being in another regional area because I live and work in a regional area and have become so used to my own network of farmers and producers. So it’s really amazing to see another part of Australia, another climate, another range of products that are being produced by a small and inspiring group of people.”
 
“At the event I will be looking after the wine pairing for the menu that Luke and Bianca have put together, working with some of the beautiful producers in the region and some of the local wines to find the perfect match for each dish.”

Olivia and Luke sampling local wines to pair with the lamb showcase menu.

“I think when we did the whole process with Appetite for Excellence, we all looked at each other and thought ‘imagine working together’ – the fact that we actually get to do that through this event is so amazing because it is not often that you get to work with a group of people who are like-minded like you are.”

Fried ravioli with spiced lamb.

For three young hospitality professionals to come together with little more than 24 hours to determine and test a menu utilising the whole lamb carcase, to match local beverages and to prepare, execute and host an entire event without fault – was an impressive thing to see.
 
Through their collaboration, their openness and willingness to learn and listen, their respect for the local and seasonal produce, their calm demeanours and skilled execution through every part of the process – these young superstars showed that the future of our food industry is in incredibly capable hands.

Guest Chef Profile

Back to contents

A chain-smoking bearded baker in an alley on a milk crate was the unlikely catalyst for a career that has taken chef Peter Gunn through some of the country’s best kitchens and into a two-hatted restaurant of his own.

“I did work experience at Nada Bakery in New Zealand and I just remember thinking – this is mental. All up since 4am, they were just these strange, strange people and you wouldn’t know that this dude constantly smoking with the beard from hell was producing these amazing pastries in a highly regarded bakery.”

“I don’t know why that appealed to me but I like that saying ‘not all heroes wear capes’ and this guy was just killing it. I like that you can just work hard, you don’t need to be the face of anything, you can just really get down and get stuck into a craft.”

And get stuck in he has. Gunn’s career playbook boasts some serious lineage – kicking off his Australian tutelage under Teage Ezard before a stint at The Royal Mail with Dan Hunter and finally, after three attempts, as sous chef at Attica for five years.

“I came to Australia 10 years ago and I just wanted to find some people that I could develop with and I eventually ended up working at Attica which is where I found the mentor that I’d been searching for so long in Ben Shewry.”

“Everything that he stands for is what I try and bring forth at Ides. Treating everybody with respect and treating all the ingredients, produce and everything you do in relation to your craft with respect – and doing it to the highest possible level.”

Service at Ides

Emerging from under the many-feathered wing of Ben Shewry to make your own mark is surely no easy feat – but with resourcefulness and determination, Gunn came out blazing when he launched the Ides monthly pop up while still working at Attica full time.

Well before pop ups were a dime-a-dozen, he found a way to creatively flex his own ideologies on food – and it paid off with the monthly events booked out eight months in advance and a lengthy list of chefs eager to work alongside him.

“It was really low key and underground but it was also very difficult and super challenging. We started prepping out the back of my shed, which we turned into this makeshift kitchen with stainless steel bench tops – it had a deep fryer instead of what would usually be a car jack. It was quite funny, very loose.”

"We popped up at rooftops, laneways, shitty little cafes and well-known restaurants but the Melbourne tram restaurant was our biggest. We prepared all the food beforehand and served courses on the tram as well as off the tram at tables set up at stops along the way. It was an exciting time but it started to get quite tough to think of new ways to continue down that track we were on."

“Spending time with somebody who’s put in many more hours than you on a particular subject or craft is unbeatable. We’re not butchers here, we’re trained chefs. Professionals like Troy Wheeler at Meatsmith are real craftsmen and making the time to go and get involved, you really can’t beat it.”

Preservice at Ides on Smith St in Collingwood

Having built a cult following of intrigued diners and a prototype for his vision of the Ides experience, the time seemed right to make his move and in 2016 Ides opened in its permanent home on Smith St in Collingwood. In a collision of parallel universes where upscale fine dining meets gritty suburban street, Gunn finally found himself at home.

“Ides evolved as a natural progression – we were running out of shit to pop up in, at or on and so it seemed like the right thing to turn it into something permanent. There was a lot of excitement in those early days and I try my hardest to keep that general feel alive through what we do today.”

“My goal with Ides is to be able to make my mum, who never goes to restaurants and doesn’t eat my style of food regularly, to make sure that when she does sit here, she is 100% comfortable. But at the same time, if you’ve got that dude that travels around the world eating three Michelin star, two Michelin star whatever – to have him come here and also be challenged by what we do.”

Caramelising lamb fat with a blowtorch

Reflecting the man behind the brand, Ides is rogue playfulness paired with fastidious focus – as contradictory as it is complementary, as honest as it is deceiving. Ides is an experience that not only reimagines fine dining; it convincingly breaks the mould and casts the diner into a world where anything is possible. Thoughtful nuances, spirited service, playful plating – and beneath it all quality food prepared in imaginative ways.

“We strive to serve something very high end but that sticks to the roots of where we are located and who I am as a person. At the heart, it is really simple. It is very unpretentious but it is quite skilful and layered and if you really dig deep, you will see that there is something really interesting going on. But I don’t like to say that,” he laughs.

“We’ve been open for three years, the guys who run the front have been here since the beginning and the kitchen team has a very low turnover of staff so we’re very comfortable in the environment. We’ve been through some extreme lows as well as some great highs in terms of professional criticism and praise and I think the skin is pretty thick now and the confidence is there.”

Gunn and junior sous chef Gary Kim at Ides

This confidence resonates throughout the restaurant from the calm precision of the kitchen and the eclectic mix of service styles through to the thought provocation and theatrical touches. It’s an intricately delicate balance executed by an intensely dedicated team. Yet, it would not be the Ides experience if it wasn’t somehow contradictory – and underneath this vein of quiet confidence is a culture where mistakes are openly encouraged. Even in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of the Ides kitchen, Gunn believes taking time is the key to getting things right.

“I really encourage making mistakes. I hate it when people think too quickly – I think that sometimes in kitchens that can really screw things up. I encourage a little bit of slow thinking rather than just making a hasty decision, sometimes taking that extra ten seconds to make a move, you can benefit a lot from just slowing down.”

"I like to lead from within. I put a lot of responsibility on my guys and part of that responsibility is that I want them to take on ownership of the kitchen. I am always, always there for whatever they need but a lot of the time you learn a lot by making wrong decisions – I know I’ve learnt a lot that way."

Saltbush lamb glazed with lovage butter finished with cocoa nibs and a crispy lovage leaf served with a fried zucchini flower with rendered lamb fat and ricotta

With three years of Ides the restaurant under his belt, two hats proudly on the mantle and a genuine desire to not rest easy on his laurels – what is next for Peter Gunn?

“This restaurant requires a lot of attention and the constant progression forward requires a lot of presence. I am really into trying to take care of myself now, trying to be relaxed, trying to encourage the younger guys to take care of themselves also – to upskill outside of being here.”

“We’re not done – and I don’t know what done is but we’re just not done. At this current point in time the only thing that’s next is knuckling down here and continuing to improve the Ides experience,” he said.

Spotlight On

Back to contents

THE TACO-LYPSE

 
 

You may have noticed that Mexican cuisine is on trend.
 
In a few short years we have moved from Old El Paso starter kits to supermarket shelves stocking tomatillo salsa and corn tortillas. The change, while slow to start, has rapidly gained momentum through the perfect storm of Mexican immigration and a deeper consumer appreciation of Mexican culinary culture through travel, TV and social media.
 
The late great Pulitzer Prize winning food writer Jonathon Gold gained a reputation as the bard of the taco truck, helping to articulate the cult of taco making and eating in ways few had before. Gold firmly believed that “in a taco there is, per square inch, more deliciousness per second than there is almost anything in the world.”

Rosa Cienfuegos was born in Mexico City and arrived in Australia in 2009. Like many new immigrants, the thing she missed most was the food. She was surprised to find how little Mexican food was available, and how different everything was.
 
“Many in the Mexican community here in Sydney would call me and ask me to prepare certain dishes for them. Eventually, so many people were asking for their favourites, especially my tamales, that I started running pop-up events in my home until that became so busy, I opened Tamaleria and Mexican Deli in Dulwich Hill,” Cienfuegos said.
 
While her Mexican deli stocks most of the ingredients she previously missed, it is her handmade tortillas that show Mexican cuisine is the essence of its own immigrant story and continues to be as adaptable as it is delicious.
 
“You can just eat whatever with a tortilla. Sometimes, my group of friends will go to a Vietnamese restaurant and order the crispy chicken and they let us BYO tortillas – with a few herbs and some avocado – we have tacos,” Cienfuegos said.

Lamb shoulder barbacoa at Carbón in Bondi.

Lamb shoulder barbacoa at Carbón in Bondi

As managing editor for SBS Food, Farah Celjo has been tracking the cultural shift and the evolution of attitude towards Mexican cuisine.
 
“Tacos are a choose-your-own-adventure vehicle now. The way cuisines are accessible within mainstream supermarkets, I think, plays a huge part in accessibility and understanding. I would say that there has been an important and significant shift around Mexican cuisine being more than tacos and burritos, which is what we have come to know or think of as the core.”
 
 
 

“Mole, tamales and pozole are also coming to life and we are quickly learning that we had a Tex-Mex knowledge of the cuisine rather than the deeper cornerstones of what else corn and beans can do,” Celijo said.

 
 
 
The Mexican wave shows no signs of slowing and whilst understanding of the broader cuisine may be evolving – it is the humble taco that has come into its own at venues around Sydney. With the arrival of star chef Claudette Zepeda and her pop-up Taqueria Zepeda to Sydney’s historic Rocks area – it appears the taco-party is only just getting started.

Corn tortillas made fresh every day at Esteban in Sydney CBD.

Corn tortillas made fresh every day at Esteban in Sydney CBD

The San Diego-based chef, known for her fearless culinary style and bold approach to regional Mexican cuisine, is bringing her signature Mexican flavours and dishes to Playfair Street with a taco-focused menu that draws from the country’s seven major regions and her ‘6 Horseman of the Taco-lypse’ being Asada (grilled beef), Lengua (confit beef tongue), Al Pastor (pork on spit), Gringa or Mulita (cheese and meat taco), Vegetable (cactus or potato), and Carnitas (crispy pork confit).
 
Zepeda grew up on the border city of San Diego with an American father and a Mexican mother – living between Mexico and America. She was a young, single, working mother which fully informs her approach to her work and her desire to do something for young women in a similar position. In 2019 she founded Viva La Vida, establishing micro businesses with single mothers throughout Mexico’s seven regions to import their heirloom ingredients, previously unavailable in the U.S – helping Mexican women support their families without sacrificing their safety and helping them break from generational poverty.

Mexican American chef Claudette Zepeda has brought Tijuana style tacos to Sydney at Taqueria Zepeda in The Rocks.

Mexican American chef Claudette Zepeda has brought Tijuana style tacos to Sydney at Taqueria Zepeda in The Rocks.

 
 

“I am a first generation Mexican American. I was born in San Diego raised in Tijuana and Guadalajara, so I think that experience gave me really good tools as a professional chef.
 
Both regions are incredibly culturally rich in their cuisine, history, and flavour profiles – they are very, very distinct. I grew up eating in the taquerias around Tijuana and I am bringing this style to Sydney.”

 
 

At Taqueria Zepeda, corn tortillas are pressed and grilled fresh daily then filled with the likes of beef tongue and chile morita tomatillo; sirloin steak with avocado mash; or Tijuana-style adobada with charred pineapple.
 
“There are also costras de queso or cheese crusts – a fried cheese dish that’s like a Mexican take on dosa. We imported a palette of masa harina (flour) which cost about $3,000 not including freight so we are not playing around,” Zepeda said.
 
For Zepeda, who has always dreamed of having a restaurant in Australia, Taqueria Zepeda is a chance to give people an insight into her culture and cuisine.
 
“I would love for people to understand that we’re giving them just this tiny little glimpse of what we eat at home. But that it’s just a part of this whole giant, beautiful culinary Pandora’s box. Mexico is a nation of immigrants and their ingredients, and I think we are programmed to share and celebrate our similarities and differences.”
 
“What came of it is really beautiful food and it is at the heart of all the things we celebrate. We celebrate our pain, and we celebrate our good fortune. There are very few cultures that love death as much as us because we are so alive.”

Asada – sirloin steak with avocado mash at Taqueria Zepeda.

Asada – sirloin steak with avocado mash at Taqueria Zepeda

 
 
 
 

“We don’t know when our last day on earth is going to be, but we know that it’s going to be a really good damn meal and we know that we’re going to break bread with our friends,” Zepeda said.

 
 
 

Lengua – beef tongue with chile morita tomatillo at Taqueria Zepeda.

Lengua – beef tongue with chile morita tomatillo at Taqueria Zepeda

Chef Toby Wilson came to Mexican cuisine through his travels – once eating 30 tacos in a day purely in the name of research. Wilson schooled himself in the diverse arts of Mexican cuisine through YouTube and eating at taquerias, roadside stalls and food trucks. Starting his own wheeled taqueria some years ago he now has permanent digs in Chippendale at Rico’s Tacos where he puts out plates like beef barbacoa with arbol chill salsa – a braise of beef chuck and an adobo of ancho chiles and spices.
 
As I stood eating a delicious, thinly sliced, prime sirloin ‘carne asada’ with pico de gallo, avocado and a Veracruz influenced black garlic salsa macha – Wilson explained the appeal of the taco.
 
 
 

“I think a lot of the flavours inherent to Mexican cuisine are flavours we’re already familiar with, especially the ingredients of Southeast Asia.”

 

Rico’s carne asada.

Rico’s carne asada

“There’s a hell of a lot more Mexican head chefs than there were when I first started cooking tacos seven years ago, which isn’t really that long. I think it’s kind of having a moment globally, not just here. The trend is more driven by social media and to some degree, the influence of Noma’s Tulum Beach pop up and influential chefs like Enrique Olvera,” Wilson said.
 
In a country that is long familiar with delicious things wrapped in pastry it is little wonder we have taken to the maize and wheat flour wrapped delights of regional Mexico. It’s one thing to ride a wave, but for Sydney’s Mexican cooks, it’s been a long journey to see their cuisine gain wider recognition and status.
 
 

Milpa Collective’s executive chef Jorge Alcala.

Milpa Collective’s executive chef Jorge Alcala

Jorge Alcala is the executive chef of Milpa Collective’s group of eight mostly Mexican themed restaurants and bars spread around the Sydney CBD, inner east, and Bondi. Carbón, located on Bondi Road, focuses on woodfired dishes from the Argentine parrilla (grill) to bring some South American accents to their Mescal fuelled regional Mexican offering.
 
Here you can take a build-your-own approach with mains like lamb shoulder barbacoa – wrapped in banana leaf and cooked for six hours with beer, chipotle, chilli, and cinnamon; or Wagyu scotch fillet steak, chimichurri, smoked paprika, grilled jalapeño and black salt – served with bottomless baskets of tortillas.

Build-your-own taco – wagyu scotch fillet, chimichurri, smoked paprika, grilled jalapeno and black salt at Carbón.

Build-your-own taco – wagyu scotch fillet, chimichurri, smoked paprika, grilled jalapeno and black salt at Carbón

Chef Alvaro Valenzuella arrived in Australia in 2017 opening Chula Mexican Restaurant in Potts Point before going on to the Lebanese styled Bedouin restaurant (which is not a leap of logic if you know the history of lamb shawarma brought by Lebanese immigrants to regional Mexico) before bringing the regional influences of Hidalgo and Jalisco to Bodega 1904 at Glebe’s Tram Shed precinct.
 
Valenzuella cooks lamb shoulder to falling off the bone unctuousness in a heady broth of ancho, guajillo, pasilla and mulato chilies for his version of barbacoa. His beef biria is a revelation – rotating between beef shank and the more gelatinous cheek, Valenzuella uses guajillo, ancho pepper and cinnamon to flavour his now one year old mother stock.

Bodega 1904 chef Alvaro Valenzuella.

Bodega 1904 chef Alvaro Valenzuella

Esteban, hidden in a tiny lane off George Street in Sydney’s CBD, is another sending out that magic formula on house made corn tortilla; meats cooked over coal, herbs, salt and salsa. Think slow braised beef shin barbacoa with tomatillo salsa, red onion, coriander, or lamb shoulder cooked sous vide overnight, finished on the grill and served with smoked salsa roja, white onion, avocado and cactus purée.
 
The word taco comes from the Aztec word ‘tlahco’ which means half or in the middle – referring to the way a tortilla is folded with the fillings in the middle. It appears Australia is in the middle of a taco-lypse – a revelation I am happy to get behind.

Esteban’s lamb shoulder with smoked salsa roja, white onion, avocado and cactus puree.

Esteban’s lamb shoulder with smoked salsa roja, white onion, avocado and cactus puree

 
 

Spotlight On

Back to contents

MEMORIES OF MINCE

 
 

As the days become shorter and the nights turn three dog cold, I have traded shorts for longs and hunted out the beanie. Having long ago given up even the idea of a summer bod (some would say this is a public service), I am happy to roll into winter clobber. Winter brings changes in the kitchen too with all the carbs and slow cooked dishes bringing the requisite degree of physical and emotional comfort.

 
 
Shopping becomes more perfunctory in winter and I find myself cooking with a certain degree of economy – one pot dishes that improve on a second helping and are even better the next day. I find myself eschewing the new and craving the simple dishes I loved as a kid.
 
Classic spag bol’ – the simplicity of mince, onion, bay leaf, pepper, salt and a tin of soup, served on top of spaghetti with a good shake of Kraft chunder cheese. Shepherd’s pie, basically mince with mash on top, made a bit fancy from the pattern of the fork making those crunchy bits that were the best. Shepherd’s is lamb, cottage is beef (that may also contain peas) – these are the rules, I didn’t make them.
 
I remember those mornings as a country kid when the grass was white with frost and the hose frozen solid, we would have savoury mince for breakfast. Mum would cook enough for days with the last of it usually ending up in the jaffle iron for Sunday night tea.
 
 

Coarse beef mince cooked in dripping with a tablespoon of flour, onion, salt and white pepper – the great Margaret Fulton would allow the addition of “a spoon of tomato paste and chopped parsley” but my father would have considered this an adulteration while enjoying his on hot buttered toast with a liberal dash of Worcestershire.
 
And there lies the comfort of my memories of mince.

 
 
At its most basic, mince is the result of waste reduction and whole carcase utlilisation – taking unused cuts and fat to create an extremely usable source of protein and bring value to the carcase. Yet around the world, mince has played a key role in the development of dishes of culinary renown and cultural significance – dishes that transcend time and place, have a hold in history and are lovingly passed down, reinvented, and given new life.

Paul Farag at Aalia Restaurant, Martin Place.

Paul Farag at Aalia Restaurant, Martin Place.

Paul Farag is the executive chef of newly opened Aalia Restaurant in Sydney’s CBD where he aims to create a unique offering of the Middle East through its diverse peoples and landscape.
 
“Most of us [chefs] think of French cooking as being sort of the pinnacle. Through my research, I found out that the oldest cookbook known to man is a Middle Eastern cookbook from ancient Mesopotamia [modern day Iraq]. It is incredibly interesting in that it is written more as a way of life and focuses on sustainability and the use of the entire animal,” he said.
 
Farag is well placed to break away from the standard Middle Eastern restaurant fare – his family emigrated to Australia from the culinary crossroads of Egypt and through Aalia, he wants to demonstrate the diversity of the Middle East with dishes ranging from Mauritania on the west coast of Africa, all the way into Iran.
 
 
 

“A lot of the Middle East is economically poor so when you go to the markets you will see whole carcases hanging and being butchered in front of you. Like everywhere else in the world, the premium cuts go to those that can afford them and the rest goes to mince. Not everyone can afford the primal cuts so mince is a way that everyone can have meat in their diet,” Farag said.

 
 
 

Paul’s Goat Merguez with pistachio tahini, sumac onion and khorasan bread.

Paul’s Goat Merguez with pistachio tahini, sumac onion and khorasan bread.

Farag demonstrates his approach with a dish of goat merguez.
 
“It sort of takes on elements of a North African merguez in terms of its spicing and I have added bone marrow for fat and flavour with plenty of garlic, and heavily spiced with harissa. Cooked cous-cous gives it volume and a lighter texture. This is a variation on my family’s recipe and it changes from Auntie to Auntie, some wrap in caul fat, others whip in extra fat and have their own recipe for the spices.”
 
“I love the fact that we are able to utilise the entire carcase. I can’t imagine any celebratory family meal where we wouldn’t have kofta in some form or another,” Farag said.

O’Tama Carey is chef and owner of the popular Lankan Filling Station in East Sydney. Originally envisaged as “a hopper shop” (after the traditional Sri Lankan street snack) she soon found herself running one of Sydney’s best Sri Lankan Restaurants. Its authenticity was something that Carey struggled with as she rediscovered her culture through the lens of a restaurant space.

O’Tama Carey at Lankan Filling Station, East Sydney.

O’Tama Carey at Lankan Filling Station, East Sydney.

“There’s that whole thing about feeling fraudulent about Sri Lankan food because I didn’t grow up there. So, in some ways, I feel like I’m not Sri Lankan enough to be having a Sri Lankan restaurant. Since I’ve opened Lankan Filling Station, I’ve had criticism about being authentic, which is weird – because I am actually Sri Lankan,” Carey said.
 
Growing up mostly in Adelaide her Sri Lankan born mother “didn’t cook curry and rice for dinner every day because it is labour intensive and she was a single mother with a full time job” says Carey “but Mum would have dinner parties, really excellent dinner parties and that’s when the Sri Lankan food would come out.”
 
This meeting of cultures is evident in her hybrid version of Lamb Biryani.
 
“Biryani is a dish that originated in Persia or India, depending on who you speak to. Everyone’s got a version of it and of course there’s a Sri Lankan version of it as well.”
 
 
 

“Traditionally it is a celebratory dish of spiced goat or lamb baked under rice that is served at weddings or to ‘break the fast’ of Ramadan. My version uses lamb mince and spices with the rice served on the side. It’s basically a Sri Lankan version of spag bol. You start with ginger, garlic, onion and curry leaves, and then add cloves, cinnamon and cardamom which is kind of the base the base for a lot of curries, it’s actually kind of comforting,” Carey said.

 
 
 

O’Tama’s Sri Lankan version of Lamb Biryani.

O’Tama’s Sri Lankan version of Lamb Biryani.

Chef Enrico Tomelleri is a native of the Alps north of Venice and made his name in Sydney putting out delicious regional Italian plates at Ragazzi, Alberto’s Lounge and 10 William Street.
 
Now, in partnership with Giorgio De Maria and Mattia Dicati, he is cooking under his own shingle at Paski Vineria Popolare on the Taylor Square end of Oxford St, Sydney.
 
Tomelleri chats to me as he rolls and cuts fresh tajarin – the Piedmontese dialect word for tagliolini or tagliarini.
 
 
 

“Of course, this isn’t from my region, it’s from Bra where my partners come from. I’m going to emulsify some house made butter with blue cheese from the same area and then on top, some Salsiccia di Bra.”
Enrico Tomelleri at Paski Vineria Popolare, Darlinghurst.

Enrico Tomelleri at Paski Vineria Popolare, Darlinghurst.

Salsiccia di Bra or Bra Sausage may be the only Italian food to have ever been protected by a Royal decree.
 
Essentially a cylinder of seasoned veal meat, its origins date back to the 16th century when local butchers in Bra started using veal scraps to make a spiraling sausage that was typically eaten raw. Far from being considered a leftover food, the pork-free sausage was popular, especially with the Jewish community living in the nearby city of Cherasco.
 
Tomelleri goes to great lengths to explain to me that he isn’t contravening any law. “This one I had made at Emilio’s Specialty Butcher in Rozelle, so I can’t call it Bra Sausage – but really, it is the same,” he said.
 
Tomelleri enthuses about the frugal nature of his regional cuisine, where using everything is a way of life.
 
 
 

“We really waste nothing. We don’t buy mince, we make it for all sorts of preparations like ragu or stuffing for tortellini. You say mince is the last cheap cut left, but I don’t think of it that way, it is an essential part of the way I cook, it is the way of using everything.”

 

Enrico’s hand rolled tajarin with Bra Sausage.

Enrico’s hand rolled tajarin with Bra Sausage.

At her restaurant Chat Thai overlooking the bustle of Circular Quay, Palisa Anderson serves me Padt Grapao – a dish of stir-fried beef mince, redolent with the deep perfume of holy basil.
 
 
 

“For me this is emotive food – like any dish that is culturally important to people. This is a very simple dish, but it is a dish that every household, every parent cooks slightly differently, it’s one of those dishes that crosses boundaries.”

 
 
 
“While it’s served in the home you can also find it in any street store or any rice and curry shop, or in fine dining restaurants – all serving a variation because it really has the key ingredients that most Thais eat in some form every single day. Garlic, chili and holy basil, it’s almost like it’s a trinity.”

Palisa Anderson at Chat Thai, Circular Quay.

Palisa Anderson at Chat Thai, Circular Quay.

“Thai cuisine has a deep connection to the land because at its root it came from the things that farmers could grow or would find growing wild. Even the working animals had a final part to play as food for the people that had worked alongside it.”
 
“Thai people don’t really use prime cuts in the same way Western cuisine does. This dish was developed from working animals, so most cuts were probably tough, the beef ‘mince’ is hand cut by knife and I prefer the texture. Thai cuisine is basically a vegetable based cuisine so using meat in this way allowed it to go further and to be shared in a more communal way. This dish is a way of life and a dish that is accessible to everyone,” Anderson said.

Palisa’s Padt Grapao - stir-fried beef with holy basil.

Palisa’s Padt Grapao – stir-fried beef with holy basil.

 

Spotlight On

Back to contents

THE MORE IN BLACKMORE

 
 

For Australian Wagyu pioneer and fifth generation cattle farmer David Blackmore, one of the most important things differentiating the Blackmore brand is their story – and it’s quite a story.

 
 
Blackmore received his first cow at age 10 as payment from his grandfather for farm work. He now produces some of the highest quality Wagyu in the world for the finest tables in Australia and 15 countries around the globe.

David Blackmore at his property in Alexandra Victoria.

David Blackmore at his property in Alexandra Victoria.

“We are our hardest critics – our reputation is only as good as our worst carcase. What’s really important for our business is the story and we’ve always presented that honestly, we protect the integrity of everything that we do and what we claim we do, we make sure we do,” David said.

Blackmore’s Wagyu journey started in 1988 in the USA when he saw purebred Wagyu cattle that were the descendants of four Wagyu bulls that had been exported from Japan in 1976 for research.
 
The Japanese Wagyu industry is highly protective, but trade discussions in the early 1990’s between the Japanese and US governments saw the first shipment of live full blood Wagyu, that included the first females exported from Japan in 1992. For the first time, full blood Wagyu cattle could now be bred outside of Japan. The Wagyu ban was re-imposed in 1996 and no Wagyu genetics have been exported from Japan since.
 
Meanwhile, Blackmore had established a close relationship with master Wagyu breeder Shogo Takeda – setting him up to secure the exclusive rights to import Takeda Wagyu embryos and semen into Australia. From 1992 to 2006 Blackmore imported more than 80 percent of the Wagyu genetics into Australia.
 
With his son Ben, Blackmore now runs a herd of 4,000 full blood Wagyu derived from Japan’s three most famous bloodlines. The business operates across five farms with 20 employees managing around 9,000 acres to produce high-quality Wagyu for the Australian and export markets.
 
“Wagyu is a long process so whilst 4,000 cattle seems like a lot, that only allows us to do 70 carcases a month – so it’s very small scale production but the idea is to have the very highest quality. One of the most important things we’ve tried to do is to make sure half of our beef stays in Australia and is used by Australian customers and chefs,” Ben said.

A Blackmore Wagyu cow and calf.

A Blackmore Wagyu cow and calf.

When David Blackmore first took his luxury beef to market, it was full carcase sales only – things started to change when Ben saw the enormous potential in his father’s relentless breeding and genetics work.
 
 
 

“When I first started out I was a typical farmer, I had been a stock agent and thought I could do my own marketing. I initially marketed on a per carcase basis, with half staying in Australia – of which about half of that went into Neil Perry’s restaurants who had their own butchers able to break down the carcases. The other half went to our US distributor and into restaurants like the French Laundry” David said.

 
 
 
Ben joined the business in 2009 with a Business Marketing degree and experience working in two Japanese meat trading companies, Itoham and Sojitz. He identified the value opportunity in breaking up the carcase to receive cut premiums by targeting particular markets.
 
“After university I worked for two Japanese meat companies and my first boss Paul Troja encouraged me to learn the Aus Meat handbook back to front along with the Latin names of each of the muscles. My first job, a traineeship at the Rockdale feedlot and abattoir, gave me a bit of a background in abattoirs and processing.”
 
“It is by design that we export to 15 countries – it allows us to identify different cuts that those markets will pay a premium for and with offal included we’re doing 35-40 cuts from every animal. Most people would think sending 300kg to a certain country is a waste of time, but for us, because of the higher value of the product, it could be a $15,000 – $20,000 order which makes it viable,” Ben said.

Dry aged Blackmore Wagyu sirloin at Meatsmith, Fitzroy.

Dry aged Blackmore Wagyu sirloin at Meatsmith, Fitzroy.

Ben also saw the opportunity to add further value to the brand by using key chefs to become ambassadors and distributors in international markets.
 
 
 

“For us, a large amount of our product is sold through restaurants and the key relationship for us there is obviously the relationship with the chef,” Ben said.

 
 
 
Perth native, chef Dave Pynt, has been instrumental in the success of the Blackmore brand in Singapore through his Asia’s 50 Best winning and Michelin-starred restaurant Burnt Ends. Having initially imported directly for his own use and creating instant classics like the raw and smoky Blackmore Beef and Uni; Pynt has now started a subsidiary wholesaler to sell Blackmore beef.
 
Curtis Stone has a similar role through his burgeoning empire in the US – initially through his Beverly Hills restaurant Maude and Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant in Hollywood. Stone is now ‘selling coal to Newcastle’ serving Blackmore beef to Texans through his new Dallas based restaurant and butchery, Georgie.
 
David laughs as he tells me “Curtis is a hell of an ambassador but a terrible distributor – he keeps it all for himself” to which Ben adds “of course, we don’t mind because he uses a hell of a lot”.

Ben and David Blackmore.

Ben and David Blackmore.

At 71 years, David Blackmore has ceded control and put Blackmore Wagyu into the capable hands of his son Ben – but he is far from hanging up his boots. His ‘retirement project’ is already causing a stir as he sets himself the task of producing the best grass-fed beef in Australia.
 
In 2011, David and Ben were in the chiller of their French distributor when they saw some very large and heavily marbled cuts of yellow-fat beef. The beef was from Rubia Gallega cattle, indigenous to Galicia in Northern Spain – and after a decade long journey, Blackmore has again triumphed in bringing unique luxury to Australian tables.
 
Initially meeting similar protectionist obstacles to those that he had encountered with Wagyu, Blackmore negotiated with the Rubia Gallega breed society and the Spanish Government to import embryos into Australia and in late 2017, after implanting the embryos into surrogate cows, the first Rubia Gallega calves were born in Australia.
 
 
 

“The Rubia Gallega had not been exported from Spain any time before and I believe these are the first cattle born outside of Spain in the world. It’s taken us 10 years to get to this stage from when we first saw the meat in Spain to be able to have meat to sell in Australia.”
David Blackmore with one of his Rubia Gallega cows.

David Blackmore with one of his Rubia Gallega cows.

“They’re much more heavily marbled than other European breeds, probably double that of an Angus off grass, and with the marbling comes your flavour and tenderness – the chefs are reporting back that the butt cuts are unbelievably tender with very fine texture. We’re aiming to get to about 350 breeders and to do 15 to 20 carcases a month,” David said.
 
David is clear about the fact that the Rubia Gallega is not there to compete with the Wagyu but given the similar heritage of the two breeds in being work animals, believes many of the same principles will apply.
 
 
 

“A lot of the things we learned with Wagyu we can apply to the Rubia Gallega and I think we can produce a better product than they do in Spain. I think that we will slaughter at 28-30 months, like we do with the Wagyu, because with age comes flavour. Of course, to do this we need to charge a premium price, or it would be impossible; and if we are charging a premium price then we better deliver on quality and I believe this will be some of the best grass-fed beef in the world,” David said.

 
 
 
Ben agrees, considering the Rubia Gallega as complementary to the business model and welcoming its addition to the suite of Blackmore brands.
 
“The idea was not to create another product similar to Wagyu but a product that could be really high quality off grass or supplemented pasture – the idea is it doesn’t compete with our Wagyu products but accompanies them.”
 
“Rubia Gallega are a good animal to breed, the cattle are huge, they are big gentle giants. They’re actually a dual-purpose animal, the mother’s milk is used to make a Spanish cheese and a lot of the accolades of the meat qualities come from those retired female cows.”
 
“We were getting a fair bit of publicity for the new cattle, and I said ‘Dad, remember 97 percent of our income still comes from the Wagyu, so don’t go too hard’,” Ben laughed.

One of the first Blackmore Rubia Gallega at Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney. Image: Christopher Pearce.

One of the first Blackmore Rubia Gallega at Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney. Image: Christopher Pearce.

When asked about the future of the Blackmore business, both men maintain that their biggest commitment is to quality. The Blackmore brand has never set out to feed the world – their customer has always been those seeking to celebrate with a luxury experience.
 
 
 

“We do a lot in our process to ensure that the flavour of our beef is unique and that starts before the animals are even born. It’s about making sure that we produce a really delicious piece of beef so that when somebody puts it in their mouth, we hope their first reaction is ‘wow’.”

 
 
 
“It’s long hours, it’s hard work and it’s about having consistency — not over a couple of months but a number of years — it’s now 30 years of two generations that has got us to this point today. We teeter on the edge of how big do you want to grow and at what size do you start to lose quality – I think we’re probably pretty happy where we are at today, it’s quite a sustainable business but who knows what the future holds,” Ben said.