Backing meat's brand wagon

The wholesaling supremo called on independent butchers from across Queensland to join him during a forum recently to fight back against big business by supplying high-quality branded products to customers.

"Supermarkets have never been more aggressive and they really seem to have a death wish on the whole retail industry," Mr Melrose said.

"I think they're going down the wrong track - I believe their call for 'cheap' products has opened up an opportunity for butchers to deliver high-quality products to consumers."

Mr Melrose was joined by a number of Tasmanian lamb producers, along with representatives from Stanbroke, during the forum that aimed to educate butchers on the importance of branding.

"It's never been more important to brand yourself with a point of difference, and many at the forum are already doing it and reaping the rewards. I believe it's the only way to go."

Mr Melrose said it was imperative that butchers not only embedded their brands into the minds of their customers but also delivered a consistent, branded product.

"Every time they think of a meat product or meal, they think of their butcher. People need to be 100 per cent sure that your product and quality claims deliver an excellent eating outcome, every time."

Mr Melrose named Tasmanian lamb and Stanbroke's Diamantina range as examples of how meat branding could create a point of difference for the consumer.

"I believe people do appreciate quality and they don't expect to buy a Mercedes for the price of a Holden. Tasmanian lamb has consistent and reliable eating quality and committed chefs also claim there is a clear difference within the meat quality."

Mr Melrose said butchers were already supplying their customers with the highest quality product compared with big retailers, but needed the extra edge that came with good branding.

"Butchers need to demonstrate to consumers that what they're selling is different to what the supermarkets are offering," he said.

Forum guest speaker Robbie Tole runs Greenvale, a lamb fattening property at Cressy in nothern Tasmania, and supplies lambs to Melrose Wholesale Meats as well as the local and export trade.

Mr Tole said branding of his product was only the beginning of what set it apart from the supermarket display shelves.

"It's very hard to compete with the export market and the major supermarkets with their sheer volumes, so branding like Tassie has with their lamb - it's vitally important," he said.

"People want quality and the butchers can do something different and I think that's what a lot of people want.

"Having that traceability, the butchers can give their customers a story about the product, and that says a lot and I think that's what people want."

Mr Tole is running a small breeding herd of about 1400 ewes alongside his store lamb fattening operation and said the clean, fresh Tasmanian air, along with the rich pasture, gave his meat an edge.

"We finish them on a variety of feeds including lucerne, brassica, winter weeds and annual rye grass," he said.

"On average we're looking to put about 14kg on them from when we buy to when we sell. Our aim is to get a lamb in as quick as we can because, for us, it's a numbers game but we also need to make sure it's a quality product.

"We're really here to reinforce the message that Tassie has the best lamb - it's as simple as that and it's a major part of our operation and the Tasmanian economy."

Miles-based certified butchers Lyn and Daryl Bein run a paddock to plate operation through their business Miles Wholesale Meats - producing their own product to sell to customers alongside branded meats including Certified Australian Angus Beef (CAAB).

Mr Bein has been representing retail butchers for the past five years as a State Councillor for the Australian Meat Industry Council Queensland and said selling branded meat gave their customers a consistent product which the company was held accountable for.

"It's guaranteed with CAAB, not the butcher who sells it, and I find if you sell a good, grain-fed beef the customer will always come back for more," Mr Bein said.

"Not everybody is looking for the grain fed meat and I suppose that's where our own product comes in.

"We've got a mix of Droughtmaster and Hereford cattle on pasture and we just top them off on grain - it's the best move we've ever made."

While the couple haven't placed a specific brand on their own beef, they said it was a move they would be pursuing in the future.

"We're very proud of what we've achieved so far," Mrs Bein said.

"We've been in the area for 40 years now and we've got a good name with our customers but we've only been running our paddock to plate operation for the past three years so it's still in the early stages."