Mort & Co’s branded Phoenix Wagyu beef has secured a lucrative deal with celebrity chef Nusret Gokce, aka Salt Bae, to supply highly marbled product.
The supply deal was created by Mort & Co’s distributor in Dubai and Phoenix Wagyu tenderloins, with marble score 8 and 9, are now being delivered to Mr Gokce’s Dubai restaurant. Plus, later this month to the celebrity chef’s famous steakhouse in the Arabic nation of Doha, Qatar.
Mort & Co beef sales & marketing manager, Tim Burgess, said negotiations are still ongoing, but he’s confident Mort’s Phoenix Wagyu brand will also start supplying marble score 8 or 9 Wagyu Cube Rolls to Mr Gokce’s Arabic restaurants, and eventually all his other international steakhouses.
Mr Gokce has steakhouse restaurants in New York, Miami and London.
“An important part of our supply relationship with Nusret Gokce is his international reputation for guiding innovation in beef menu offerings,” Mr Burgess said.
“He developed a steak called the popular ‘Ottoman steak’ in his restaurants and now the celebrity chef is influencing price movements in global Wagyu beef markets.”
Mr Burgess said associating Mort & Co’s premium Phoenix Wagyu beef with a celebrity chef not only offers a supply to sale opportunity, but also gives the brand association to influence Phoenix Wagyu’s perception to millions of international beef consumers.
Turkish born chef, Nusret Gokce, became internationally famous after a video of him sensually salting a steak went viral on social media. He currently has more than 1.1 million Instagram followers.
Mr Burgess said Mort & Co’s Phoenix Wagyu brand success comes from a focus on good Wagyu cattle genetics, animal husbandry, nutrition, feedlot management paired will excellent processing and packaging.
“I still think the two most important factors in achieving success in this global beef restaurant market is cattle breed and how they are fed,” he said.
“I feel the biggest challenge for Australian’s Wagyu industry going forward is maintaining the identity of our Wagyu breed, especially with many producers starting to infuse it into their cattle herds.”
Mr Burgess said it’s important how the company positions different levels of genetics, from Fullblood Wagyu to F1 types, to achieve ongoing success for their Phoenix Wagyu brand in the future.
“The Wagyu beef market has matured even more over the past year to be more segmented with positioning for all different marble scores both domestically and internationally,” he said.
“The United States has an opportunity for lower marble score Wagyu beef, around marble score 3, 4 or 5, and the nation is currently looking at Australia to supply this market.”