By Rebecca Rawlings
7 August 2008
As we come into spring, restaurants around the State are preparing to put lamb back on the menu and are showing keen interest in Q-Lamb which is now backed by the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) logo.
Johnson Meats in the only wholesale butcher in WA selling MSA backed Q-Lamb for foodservice in WA and is encouraging new customers to join the program.
Johnson Meats sales manager Bob Linto said the company had started heavily promoting Q-Lamb under-pinned by MSA and he believes the future is extremely bright for WA lamb producers who enter the program.
“With beef, MSA has worked very well because it is a very good criterion for quality,” Mr Linto said.
“The MSA tag is something the hospitality industry is very aware of so MSA lamb should follow down the same path as MSA beef as first choice for quality.”
Many in the foodservice industry are not aware MSA lamb is available but this is about to change because Johnson Meats has been given permission to promote Q-lamb's MSA product.
“We have been dealing with Peter Trefort for three years, but we haven't been able to beat the drum on Q-lamb until more recently because it was well and truly tied up; originally with Foodland and then Metcash has the rights of the Q-lamb brand,” My Linto said.
“In recent times they have relinquished that right to the hospitality industry and are now quite happy for us to say we can provide Q-lamb.”
Johnson Meats has been run on the same standards as MSA for nearly 18 years, always using top end, grain-fed quality beef.
“So when MSA came along it was great because it really gave us a handle and something to go out to our customers with,” Mr Linto said.
“We have always told our customers our product is top quality, but all the specifications put in place by MLA, right from the producer to the plate, has re-inforced the quality that we have always handled.
“MSA has been a really good tool for us and MSA lamb will just follow on behind it.
“The MSA label allows our customers to be very confident of the product.”
Mr Linto said because Q-lamb was based on the Sheep Meat Eating Quality (SMEQ) system, which was in place before MSA sheepmeat was introduced, the company has been able to provide customers with consistent quality lamb.
He said the MSA label would now provide a further quarantee for food service that was backed by a national program.
MSA lamb is not yet advertised on menus in WA but is something industry is working towards.
“At this stage MSA is a way foodservice can guarantee quality; we are hoping with (Hillside's Product Developing) Rob Shepherd's help and producers themselves consumers will identify quality with MSA lamb,” Mr Linto said.
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“MSA lamb will also become very big in retail, not so much Coles as Woolworths but in the independents and butcher shops.
“Inevitably, in the long term, MSA will be seen in the big supermarkets though because MSA lamb is not limited to WA.
“Eastern States processors are getting big numbers of MSA lambs now from Queensland so supermarkets will bring this product across.
“As much as we don't like seeing it come over from the eastern States, I'm sure more lamb producers and abattoirs will go MSA as they have with the beef and use it as a selling tool making MSA lamb available right through Australia.”
Johnson Meats customers are mainly in the hospitality industry - hotels and restaurants.
One of Johnson Meats customers, executive chef Aaron Burrow of the Duxton Hotel, said he would be promoting MSA Q-lamb on his new spring menu.
Other customers include Frasers Resaurant, the Hyatt, Hilton, Mustard Catering, The Old Brewery, Bluewater Grill and Function Centre, Perth Convention Centre, Joondalup Resort, Atrium Resort, Brighton Hotel, Peel Ale House, Cobblers Tavern, Halls Head Golf Club and Cable Beach Resort.
“We do a lot of business with Subiaco Oval during the AFL and rugby season through Mustard Catering which also does events such as the Leeuwin Concert.” Mr Linto said.
“I think people are turning back to lamb because it is becoming very predominant on the menu and a lot of cuts we previously didn't sell are making their way into foodservice like lamb rumps, knuckles and things like that.
“We find these cuts are increasing in popularity for places that hold events like conventions.”
Mr Linto said Johnson Meats could ask for a premium for MSA quality product and would like to think it went through to the farm gate.
“We are very strong on the local product and we would like to see more money going back to the farm gate because it is a long overdue,” he said.
“We have told our customers, but it comes down to we are all being screwed by the consumer, it's the person on the other side of the counter on the retail side that says `I'm not paying that´ and so, in turn, the butcher says `I need it cheaper´.
“At the end of the day we are all screwing the poor bugger in the paddock. This has to turn around. The consumer has to understand that if they want quality it comes at a price and if we don't see this premium go back to the farm gate we won't have any farmers left.
“Someone needs to beat that drum because it's not something we can do. I know what we sell our wholesale primal cuts for and it doesn't relate back to some of the retail pricing.”
Mr Linto assured lamb producers there was potential growth for lamb sales domestically.
“We are battling with securing lamb numbers and would love to see a recovery in the WA flock.” He said.
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