Producing Organic Meats

Our stock is processed on contract for our company Mountain Valley Organic Meats. In the late 80's and early 90's most meat companies thought organics was just a big silly joke. It was frustrating producing organic meat for the growing market demand while it would just get sold as normal conventional meat. We had to become the marketers and sell it ourselves. We took sample vacuum packed cuts around restaurants, food co-ops and supermarkets in 1990.

One Sunday, we had a breakthrough call from the European executive Chef from the former THC /Gardens Parkroyal in Queenstown who said the lamb we gave him was the tastiest he had ever had and from then on he bought all the restaurant cuts we could supply.

Over the years we’ve built up a good base of customers and still supply organic Lamb and Highland Beef throughout NZ directly into restaurants, shops, Organic food co-op's, doctors & families all year round.

Helen, our family and I get a big kick out of feedback from Chefs and customers and we enjoy eating our organic meat in the different restaurants we supply in NZ (that’s when we can afford it!). It appeared on ABC's The Cook and the Chef.

We've learnt heaps, like that you must be prepared to consistently supply all year round. Most cuts sell well but other bulk cuts like lamb flap, shoulder & beef mince & stew need good markets too, or else they build up to become a mountain of meat boxes.

Availability and Transportation

These seasonal specials are available only in New Zealand until they run out and excludes GST. They are freight free to main centres in Southland, Dunedin, Queenstown, and Wanaka. Other main centres also supplied with air freight delivery, added cost - contact us for details.

Wholesale Pricing — Prices current as at July 2016. All prices exclude GST.

Minimum order of 10 kg required for wholesale pricing. Restaurant menu steak cuts, food co-op & family meats available all year round. BioGro certified organically grown vacuum packed cuts.

Please contact us for more information on pricing and ordering our organic meats.

International Exports

When we received orders from Japan we Air freighted large sample orders for a long time before the meat board finally decided they better give us a meat export Licence (Reg number 1017).

We were excited yet anxious to export direct to Restaurants in Tokyo (including The Park Hyatt) and Hong Kong between 1995 and 2000. The Japanese really enjoyed the meat and the direct link with the farm. At one stage it appeared in Vogue magazine! However we stopped exporting during the difficult Asian economic crash and have concentrated on supplying the domestic organic market ever since. We have no exporting worries/risks now, but receive a lower premium domestically. We still get plenty of overseas enquiries and may start exporting again in the future.

The global market for organic products is growing spectacularly quickly reaching a value of 72 billion U.S. Dollars in 2015, with the majority being consumed in North America and Europe. Organic exporters have growing markets with 20-100% premiums for the producers and this frees them from the poorly paid commodity market. Some meat companies are paying large premiums for Organic BIO-GRO Livestock.

The Organic market has grown incredibly in the last 15 years, now many NZ restaurants want more than one Organic meal on their menu. Doctors and other health professionals are urging people to eat organic.