WHAT better way to celebrate Queensland Day on June 6 than with a steak, especially if it a bona fide Queenslander.
JBS's Queenslander brand is underpinned by the MSA eating standards system and is now being supplied through the food service sector and retail butchers.
Norman Hotel executive chef Frank Correnti said the brand had already proven a very effective way of keeping the Woolloongabba hotel's popular steak offering in front of diners, even during the COVID-19 restrictions.
During the ongoing lockdown Brisbane's so-called 'worst vegetarian restaurant' is cleverly supplying the Norman eating experience in a box for steak-focused home diners, complete with preparation instructions. The Norman's Steak-Away boxes sell for $89 to $109, depending on the selection.
The box includes the choice of four steaks, specialty sauces, the Norman's iconic bacon, baked potato, sides including cold slaw, bread rolls, and even the wooden markers used to indicate how the steak has been cooked.
"It's been great just how well people have responded to our pop-up butcher shop and Steak-Away promotion," Mr Correnti said.
"We had just 12 hours to get the pop-up butcher shop up and running after the government announced the COVID-19 restrictions.
"Fortunately we were able to get a retail butcher license in record time and keep at least some of our staff employed."
The Queenslander brand is also being sold through retail outlets across Queensland including: Zone Fresh at Windsor in Brisbane; Rite Choice Meats, Charters Towers; FoodWorks, Cloncurry; Bowen Meats, Bowen; Queensland Country Meats, Roma; Chaplin Butchery, Miles; Fresco Meat, Mackay; Gracemere Meats, Gracemere; Gleesons Butchery, Chinchilla; Heits Butchery, Beaudesert; and Andrews Meats, Toowoomba.
JBS business development manager Chris Miller said the Queenslander brand was sourced from both grass and grain-fed animals.
"Typically the beef is from young cattle from Central and Southern Queensland and is being process through either Rockhampton or Dinmore," Mr Miller said.
"We've found chefs and butchers are particularly impressed on the consistency of the product, the range, and the feedback from customers on the eating quality."