Verified Black Angus Beef Flying the Aussie Flag in Chicago

Liz Pearson, Commercial Supply Chain Manager

Angus Australia was on hand to support Verified Black Angus Beef brand, Jack’s Creek Black Angus, at the recent National Restaurant Association Tradeshow (NRA) in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

NRA is the largest annual gathering of food service professionals in the Western Hemisphere. Angus Australia’s attendance at NRA is part of the broader support, promotion and market research schedule for Angus Brand Verification focusing on verified brands in all major international markets. NRA is a meeting place for the global food service industry to create business connections with key supplier, discover exciting new products, interact with innovative concepts, ideas, and equipment, and make invaluable peer-to-peer networking connections. NRA consisted of over 1,300 exhibitors from more than 110 countries and was attended by approximately 50,000 visitors from all over the world emphasising its global presence. With NRA’s substantial global footprint, it is clear that this tradeshow represents a huge chuck of what is happening around the world and is a key indicator of consumer demand globally. The Verified Black Angus Beef brand, Jack’s Creek Black Angus were promoted heavily with their own stand containing a stunning array of Australia Angus beef. Whilst NRA is an excellent opportunity to gain new business in all global markets, it was largely used by Jack’s Creek to service, network and further develop existing relationships, while taking advantage of Angus Australia’s support to strengthen business with loyal and value-based customers. These customers consist predominately of wholesalers and importers to distribute product around the world. In supporting our Verified Black Angus Beef brand, Angus Australia delivered the clear message of verification as the independent representative of Australian Angus producers and the added integrity and value this brings to our verified partners. “Having Angus Australia accompany us in customer facing events such as tradeshows is essential in demonstrating our connection to the Aussie Angus producer and the great working relationship and comradery between our two businesses,” says Jack’s Creek Americas VP & Head of Sales, Diego Saray. “It’s a helpful sales tool which further strengthens the trust and loyalty to the Jack’s Creek brand,” added Jack’s Creek Sales Manager, Adam North A key learning for Angus Australia through interaction with this section of the supply chain has demonstrated Verified Black Angus Beef’s importance to the market and the end consumer. Wholesalers and importers are using the program as a key selling point to their customer through education and promoting this verification when on selling to their customers.

A: Liz Pearson, Angus Australia, Adam North & Diego Saray with distributors Spring One Inc. South Pasadena, California USA. Spring One Inc focuses on supplying Australian beef to Asian communities in California, B: Australian Angus beef displayed at NRA 2022, C: Liz Pearson, Angus Australia with Diego Saray, VP & Head of Sales, Jacks Creek Americas

One of the key challenges selling Australian Angus directly into the US domestic beef market is the competition from Certified Angus Beef, which is owned by the American Angus Association and is the largest branded beef brand in the world. While Angus Australia collaborates heavily with the American Angus Association, the competition in the branded beef space in the US is very healthy. The domestic US business is a tough one to crack for any Aussie brands with strong patriotism, trust, and consumer loyalty from Americans for US product.