McKinlay beef producers begin branded beef marketing

The young entrepreneur stepping into the world of branded beef grew up on 20,235ha Redland Park in the McKinlay district along with his sister Hannah.

The pair, along with their partners and their parents Jim and Wendy Brodie, are about to distribute what they hope will be the first of many boxes of Horizon Grazing beef to consumers in Queensland's south east.

The paddock to palate venture is something the family has often talked about, according to Mr Brodie, but various work circumstances have meant they haven't been able to act upon it until now.

"It's really exciting to think we can assure someone in Brisbane of the history of the meat they're eating," he said.

"It's important not just from a selling point but there's a big push from consumers who don't want factory farming, and who want to know the story of what they're eating.

"People should be interested in it, we want to encourage that, and we can see the end result of all our hard work."

Hannah Brodie is a qualified vet, meaning that animal welfare is at the forefront of their raison d'etre.

Their herd is based on Santa Gertrudis cows and Angus/Brangus bulls, giving a mixture of durability for north western conditions and softness for eating quality.

While Mr Brodie already recommends the product's tastiness, he said they would be carefully scrutinising the eye muscle and marbling qualities of bulls they bought in the future.

After university in Brisbane, he spent four years as a cattle buyer for Teys at Rockhampton so judging a beast is second nature to him.

These days he works for QRIDA in Toowoomba on the North Queensland flood recovery, a cause close to his heart after the family took a big hit in the 2019 monsoon.

"We're on the other side of that now," he said. "As graziers we always have to work our hardest to get past what nature deals up."

He's already anticipating the drought-proofing that will be needed to keep up the meat supply when rain is lacking, saying that agistment would most likely be an option.

"We'll tackle that head on too," he said.

One of the enablers of the new business has been the opening of the abattoir in Longreach on the former pastoral college grounds, making it economically viable to process the few head at a time that will be needed as the business finds its feet.

The first deliveries of four different options - Taste of the Outback, Beefed Up, Family Feast or Barbecue Box, each with a different combination of cuts - are due to start on November 17 and are expected to take place every three to four weeks.

"They vary in the amounts and types," Mr Brodie said. "We eventually hope to have a store where people can make their own boxes up."

While they were aware of other producers offering a branded beef product, Mr Brodie said they were mainly in south east Queensland.

"McKinlay is the real McCoy," he said. "We want to represent the north west beef industry."