MARBLING, taste, texture and appeal are features of Bindaree Beef’s premium product lines introduced this year, and the beef has already made a big impact on the honours lists.
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The company took home Champion Grass Fed and Champion Grain Fed awards for their Fernhill Road and The Chairman lines, respectively. They also garnered two gold, three silver and two bronze medals for their products.
The latest wins add to a list of accolades this year.
Bindaree picked up five medals at the 2014 Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards and five at the Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show.
It was an accomplishment that was some time in the making.
Mark Bennison is the Bindaree general manager for sales and production. He said the company is utilising the Meat Standards Assessments outlined by the Meat and Livestock Association (MLA) to best target eating quality attributes.
Mr Bennison said they have recognised the NSW New England and Northern Tablelands area produces the animals to fit the bill. The company has taken time to identify local producers, cattle groups, breeds, and feeding methods. Their ambition is to banish generic labelling that has haunted Australian beef.
“By using the MSA grading standards, we’re able to pull our meat up and put it at a level and a standard that is higher than average, general perception of Australian beef,” Mr Bennison said.
Bindaree chiller-assessment standards officer and MSA grader, Steven McGregor spends hours daily in the dim vaulted, cool rooms at Bindaree, shouldering his way through hundreds of hanging carcases.
Alongside his two colleagues, Mr McGregor goes through a rigorous assessment process of each beast, registering data on the producer, meat colour, marbling, fat colour, depth of fat and cartilage and bone age into a hand-held device.
“The younger the better,” he said, noting the European breeds topped the list for quality.
“Well, you’ll find that Angus are our best breed that we get for marbling. Normally they’ll grade better than anything else.”
Mr Bennison implied it will be producers who will enjoy the rewards of the new lines.
“In our grids, we offer premiums for reaching MSA standards. We’re going to be launching a premium for cattle that reach certain marble scores. So we’re going to be offering premiums in the future for cattle that offer higher grades of the new grades that we’ve launched.”
