Haverick Meats

David Clarke, executive chef at Jamie's Italian in Sydney was featured in Sunday Life magazine last weekend. In the article he mentioned that he had recently been down to Haverick Meats to buy some of our premium vegetable based nitrate and preservative-free salumi and nitrate free wagyu bresaola, which he'd served up with some home-made mayo, mustard fruits and fresh herbs... sounds delicious!

Jamie's Italian has only been open a few weeks, but there is already a lot of buzz amongst the Sydney foodie scene and online community. You don't need to book at Jamie's Italian, so if you're in Pitt Street pop in and see why Dave and his team have got so many tongues wagging, fingers typing and mouths watering! http://www.jamieoliver.com/au/italian/

Big thanks to Dave for giving us a huge plug - it's always nice to be appreciated!

Haverick Meats recently purchased a painting by one of Australia's most collectible and highly regarded contemporary artists, Angus McDonald. "Jeremy" now has pride of place in the entrance foyer of our new processing facility in Banksmeadow, NSW. Angus recently came for a tour of our new premises and to see Jeremy’s new home. Here is what Angus said of his visit:

"I was fortunate to have the opportunity to get out to Havericks at Peter Andrews' invitation, so he could show me where Jeremy was going to be installed. It was fascinating to see the set up out there, a lot of good energy all through the place, incredible meat and Jeremy has a great spot in the entrance foyer of the office where he can greet all who come to visit. Am really pleased that Haverick’s have a piece of mine and that piece in particular."

Galileo Restaurant at the Observatory Hotel in Sydney hosted a unique culinary event with celebrity Iron Chefs Hiroyuki Sakai and Kenichi Chen along with its own chef Haru Inukai. Haverick Meats proudly sponsored the exclusive event and provided all the premium quality meat used to prepare the exquisite degustation menu.

The event took place over three consecutive nights from Tuesday, 6th November and was hosted by popular television presenter John Mangos. Each evening, plasma screens treated all 120 diners with an insiders view as the television chefs created Szechuan and Japanese cuisine cooked with traditional French techniques. Guests were welcomed with cocktails and then treated to a seven course meal, accompanied by red and white wines, specially chosen by Galileo’s head sommelier Christian Baepplers.

Food lovers and die hard fans of the television series Iron Chef, paid $495 per ticket to enjoy a superb menu which featured the likes of Sesame Infused Cold Steamed Chicken and Quail Confit. Each dish was introduced and its preparation demonstrated by the chefs before being served. The dishes were met with gasps of admiration followed by silence as diners were lulled into quietness by the superlative tastes.

Throughout the evening, Diners were equally delighted by the antics of their esteemed chefs as they mugged up to the cameras, took photos of themselves on the plasma screens, interacted with diners and concluded the evening by posing for photos and signing autographs.

The Story of Angus in Australia by author Nigel Austin was launched in March 2008 at the Royal Easter Show, Sydney. The pivotal role that Haverick Meats played in the way Certified Australian Angus Beef (CAAB) is distributed as well as CAAB’s rise to the position of preferred beef at the top end of the market is highlighted in the book. The following is an exract from chapter 9, in which John and Peter Andrews, Directors of Haverick Meats, detail their instrumental roles in helping drive CAAB to the top.

“Haverick Meats, one of the larger food-service supply companies in Australia, was involved in CAAB from the start. John Andrews spent a lot of time discussing the way food-service clients would like to see CAAB presented in terms of specifications, packaging and branding to provide the greatest awareness for their clients. Haverick Meats became very important as the biggest distributor of CAAB in Australia. Peter Andrews says Haverick sells to the best of the best from the top catering companies to airline companies, restaurants and five-star hotels including the Hilton Hotel, Four Seasons and Shangri-La Sydney. Restaurants include Peter Doyle’s est. in Sydney, Michael James’ Wildfire Restaurant at Circular Quay, Sydney, Warren Turnbull’s Assiette Restaurant and about six Kingleys Steakhouse Restaurants.

‘CAAB has become the preferred beef at the top end of the market, with the only people not using it choosing to do so due to price,’ Andrews says. ‘We have distributed a lot of branded meats over the years, but CAAB has been the best and the most organised branded beef product in Australia, while a lot of the others have disappeared. One reason for its success is that they licensed everyone from the beginning of the chain to the end,’ he says. That chain maintains the integrity of the product and that maintains it success. Many other products have a lot of substitution whereas there is absolute integrity with CAAB.

‘As a distributor we went with it because it is the best. We went out and educated people about why they should spend more to get the best. It’s been branded, its been carefully graded and it’s been aged for at least three to four weeks in a cryovac bag. I’m a big believer in aging beef and I personally think that four weeks is the optimum. The aging process is critical, you can get the best beef in Australia, but if it’s not aged well, it won’t eat well.

The thing with CAAB is it’s Australia’s best branded beef. It is well suited to food service because it guarantees year-round supply of consistent quality. They have a proper program designed to service the domestic market. It’s the best recognised beef brand in Australia and it gives you that reassurance that you are buying a quality product. It is the best beef in Australia other than long-fed specialised beef. You can never go wrong in eating CAAB.

The first Sydney restaurant to use CAAB was Kingsleys Steakhouse and Cigar Lounge operated by Kingsley Smith in 2001-02. A strong supporter of CAAB, Smith operates Kingsleys Steak and Crabhouse on the Finger Wharf at Woolloomooloo and Kingsleys restaurants in Brisbane, Canberra and Melbourne. Leading Sydney chef Peter Doyle says CAAB is his beef brand of choice at est. restaurant because it is a quality product and consistently good. ‘We charge a fair bit for menu items, so it’s important that they meet expectations,’ he says. ‘There seems to be a consistent approach to trying to keep CAAB even and it’s a nice product. Consistency is the main criteria for all our products.’”

From The Story of Angus in Australia by Nigel Austin. Copies can be purchased at www.angusaustralia.com.au