Brangus and beer a pigeon pair
By Lucy Moore
It’s no secret the tried and trusted paddock to plate concept has taken many routes throughout agriculture.
Beef focussed or not, traceability remains front and centre of consumer priorities- something Calliope Quality Meats, Ward’s Brewery and Voewood Brangus value in equal measure.
The three businesses, all centrally located to Calliope and Gladstone, took the farm to fork idea one step further when they collaborated in a three-way partnership culminating in a weekly Wednesday night offering colloquially labelled ‘moo to brew’ at Ward’s Brewery, Gladstone.
You would be forgiven for associating the Ward’s label with cordials and soft drink, however descendant and current owner Michael Comley has given the name a new lease on life as a high-end brewery and dining location on the southern Great Barrier Reef.
Mr Comley said the venture between his business and Calliope Quality Meats to feature Brangus steak as a weekly spectacle ticked numerous boxes.
“It’s a fun concept- when establishing the brewery I felt a lot of this paddock to plate stuff happens down in the sunny south-east corner, whereas we are so close to the beef capital of Australia (Rockhampton) it was a no-brainer to capitalise on that,” he said.
“It’s a trilogy really, and I feel privileged to offer a premium Brangus steak to the public each week knowing our values are so closely aligned with the team at both Voewood Brangus and Calliope Quality Meats.”
Mr Comley said the lure of serving locally grown, grass fed, hormone free Brangus was “irresistible” and the feedback had been entirely positive.
“The flavour of the meat is a real standout,” he said.
“I hope what we’re doing will be a catalyst for other businesses and producers to get on the same bandwagon and take a bit of a risk.
“I believe consumers have become used to grain fed beef which is all quite vanilla, in that it all tastes the same, whereas it’s all about flavour for us.
“Our steak chef is a retired restaurateur who comes in every Wednesday for the Moo to Brew night and does a great job of presenting the Voewood beef, and we take this preparation and presentation very seriously.”
Mr Comley recognised Ward’s role as the third puzzle piece and said he held deep respect for the work that
preceded him.
“We pride ourselves on serving a high-end product that celebrates the years of dedication and commitment required to produce a premium Brangus article as well as the level of detail undertaken in the butchery,” he said.
Calliope Quality Meats’ Josh Muckert’s experience as both an on-farm and in-store butcher had him well-placed to engage in the Moo to Brew partnership, not to mention the store’s proximity to Voewood Brangus.
He said a shared passion for fresh meat straight out of the paddock and onto the plate made the venture successful.
“Every breed has different traits when the body is broken down and I do notice little things when boning a Brangus animal out,” he said.
“I would make special mention though of flavour- from my perspective I find the marbling in Brangus cattle lends the meat a really unique, almost creamy flavour that is very enjoyable.”
Calliope Quality Meats only provide rump and rib fillet cuts to Ward’s Brewery with the remainder sold through the window at the butchery.
Mr Muckert said conversations around new ideas to magnify the Moo to Brew partnership were evolving and the possibility of expanding the butchery itself to accommodate more Brangus bodies was also being explored.
Currently serving 20 steak meals every Wednesday night, Mr Comley said growth and sustainability of the paddock-plate-beer concept was also important to Ward’s.
“We see many graziers coming in on a Wednesday night to support the whole concept- they really understand the concept- and we’ve had people say it’s the best steak they’ve had in years,” Mr Comley said.
“The beef is matched with our Black Lager, which is both an aesthetic and culinary pairing, and the results truly speak for themselves.
“I hope what we’re doing will be a catalyst for other businesses and producers to get on the same bandwagon and take a bit of a risk.
“Stepping outside the traditional boxed beef comfort zone with two very determined businesses in Calliope Quality Meats and Voewood Brangus has been rewarding thus far and I feel an exciting future ahead.”
