Supporting Local

CELEBRATING NEW ZEALAND LAMB FROM PADDOCK TO PLATE

New Zealand’s reputation as one of the finest producers of lamb in the world has been 140 years in the making. It was the pioneering spirit and innovative thinking of the early settlers in North Otago who laid the foundations which put New Zealand lamb on the world stage.

That first voyage of frozen lamb to the UK back in 1882 paved the way for everyone in the supply chain to grow, process and cook lamb for Kiwis and the rest of the world, to enjoy in all its delicious glory.

So, to celebrate the 140th anniversary on National Lamb Day last month, the Beef + Lamb Ambassador Chefs were invited to step out of their kitchens and down to Otago to learn more about the paddock to plate journey. Kiwi chefs are the ones who champion the product at the end of the supply chain and the Ambassadors Chefs were eager to meet the farmers and see first-hand what goes into growing the finest lamb in the world.

With such an historic anniversary, a visit to Totara Estate in North Otago was also on the itinerary. Totara Estate is run by Heritage New Zealand and is a beautifully restored collection of buildings presented in a way which brings the story of that first voyage alive, showing the beginnings of how New Zealand lamb became a world class product.

On a chilly but sunny Monday morning, three of the four Ambassador Chefs met up at Dunedin airport and headed off to the Maniototo Plains in Central Otago to visit Shortlands Station, the home of Provenance Lamb. The Crutchleys have farmed their land for several generations and produce their beef and lamb using regenerative farming techniques growing mixed pastures of herbs and grasses to ensure all the essential nutrients are available to the animals.

Executive Chef of Artisan at Bolton Hotel in Wellington, MacLean Fraser noted that spending time on the farm was a great opportunity to see where the food story begins.

“As a chef I am the last touch point of the product before our guests experience it. Having that connection with the farmers and being part of the paddock to plate journey is a great privilege, and I want to be able to do the farmers proud.”

With the beautiful backdrop of the Central Otago high country, the chefs were taken out on the farm, and with spade in hand David Crutchley showed them how it all begins with ensuring the biological health of the soil is the best it can be which then grows the best food for the animals to eat. Platinum Ambassador Chef Michael Coughlin, who is the Brand Ambassador for Provenance Lamb then explained how that transpires through into the eating quality of the meat providing exceptional flavour and tenderness.

The 140th anniversary ended with a celebratory dinner in Oamaru, to mark the occasion. It was an evening where everyone in the supply chain could come together to celebrate the amazing produce we grow here in New Zealand and to pay tribute to those early pioneers, who had the foresight and forward thinking to create the beginning of New Zealand’s food story.