IF you are looking for the Bentley of beef, look no further than Bindaree Beef’s vision for the future. Quality and a growing export market are within the company’s sights.
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Bindaree general manager, Andrew McDonald said the company is planning for a transition from commodity-based products more toward a branded and value-added business.
“And try to find customers who want something a little bit different, that they’re wanting to pay more money for,” Mr McDonald said.
With current emphasis on transparency and quality in the food industry, Bindaree has launched of six quality beef lines in 2014. The products have a defined provenance, and Mr McDonald agreed that was the intent of the company’s direction.
“So if we’re talking about cars, Bindaree Beef is trying to become a Mercedes Benz rather than play down in the Holden and Ford domain,” he said.
“That’s where Bindaree’s going, so if a customer’s ringing up wanting Ford Falcons, we say, ‘Listen, go to the big guys. We don’t produce Ford Falcons anymore. But if you want something a little more boutique, and done to your specification, well, that’s what we do.’”
Mr McDonald said the rise of the middle-class in China will also open up avenues for Bindaree products. He referred to an ANZ report that said in 2010, 2 per cent of all beef sold in China was sold through retail supermarkets.
“By 2020 they expect that number to be 40 per cent,” he said.
It seems that outlets for the quality beef for the Asian giant are opening at every turn.
Mr McDonald spoke about the boom of five-star hotels in the China, the 27 million people joining the middle-class in China each year, and a Bindaree client who wants to ride that wave.
“We went and saw one client in China who’s launching in December with 18 supermarkets, and then they plan to build 800 supermarkets,” he said.
Mr McDonald said beef is regarded as healthy, flavourful and a symbol of affluence in China, and Bindaree is poised that desire both in that country and beyond.
“We’re trying to go away from selling bulk meat to the USA for hamburgers, and try to go to dissecting the animal so it suits different consumers around the world.”