Two exciting developments have taken place for Hereford Prime in the last month – work with a new processor has begun and a gourmet pie is about to hit the shelves in North Island supermarkets.

New Hereford Prime Processor

Herford Prime and Magills Meats are in the early stages of developing a relationship with Wellington based processor Ken Wilson Meats (Taylor Preston).

This joint venture will further establish the Hereford Prime branded beef programme in the lower North Island and upper South Island – allowing the brand to develop its exposure and build market share in previously untapped territory.

Several trial kills have been conducted and Hereford Prime chairman Laurie Paterson says the results are stacking up well. “The meat quality is excellent.”

However he said the viability of this relationship lies with NZHA members. He said the membership will underpin the success of this fledgling relationship by ensuring the supply of cattle into the programme.

He said Hereford Prime is excited by the development and the opportunites it presents.  Laurie said Taylor Preston also have an exporting license which may in time offer new avenues for HP to investigate.

NZ owned, Ken Wilson Meats (Taylor Preston) will process pure-bred Hereford and Hereford first cross British beef breed animals for the programme.

With this new processing capacity NZHA members and their bull buying clients are encouraged to supply Ken Wilson Meats (Taylor Preston) to maintain regular supply and ensure the potential of the branded beef programme is met.

Any breeders (or their bull buying clients) who would like to supply the HP programme should contact Jane Allan on 0274 200 265 or Laurie Paterson on 0274 365 747.

Hereford Prime Features in New Gourmet Pie:

In another exciting development North Island based Maketu Pies is about to release a gourmet pie containing Hereford Prime beef.

The pies, available in the North Island via Progressive Enterprises supermarkets (Countdown, Woolworths and Foodtown) will be a Hereford Prime Beef and Blue Cheese pie. It’ll be available next month in two sizes – family and snack size.

The gourmet pie came into development at the request of Progressive who identified an opportunity within their delicatessens where the existing range of Maketu Pies already featured.

Grant Wilson managing director of Bay of Plenty based Maketu Pies says Progressive Enterprises approached them to develop the gourmet pie range, which will be available next month in North Island supermarkets and is expected to feature the HP branding.

Much of the beef for the gourmet pies and the traditional line of Maketu Pies is being provided by Magills Meats in Te Awamutu with Maketu opting to use quality ingredients such as Hereford Prime, which Grant felt would work as a positive selling point for their pies.

“We find the quality (of the beef) very good and tasty,” says Grant.

Grant says NZ’s pie industry is very competitive. “We always want to give people value for money – a decent pie for a decent price,” he said.

Maketu Pies produces about 100,000 units on a weekly basis and Grant said Magills supply a good and tasty product. It is a family owned and run business employing about 50 staff.