Gourmet food specialists, Classic Fine Foods, has launched Australian Wagyu beef brand, Westholme, to the UK market.
Launched at TheTasteLab at Classic Fine Foods London headquarters, a select group of chefs and industry tastemakers experienced a culinary extravaganza of a Wagyu menu cooked live by industry heavyweight chef Paul Greening. Greening said:“Cooking with Westholme is a sheer delight, it’s an absolutely formidable beef product. Its behaviour when cooking far exceed expectations, and due to the unique mixture of fat and lean, chefs can produce a consistent, premium product every single time.”
Greening’s menu included a smoked bavette tartare with Sturia Oscietra caviar, a pan roasted Westholme fillet with spiced beetroot relish, a braised Westholme brisket with celeriac puree and a sliced truffle, a grilled flank and flat iron Westholme steak with black garlic butter and pickled turnips and the grand finale was some Aussie barbequed Westholme Tomahawks with triple cooked chips. (pictured above).
Richard Sanders, group meat specialist for Classic Fine Foods said:
“Paul Greening delivered an exceptional menu, which was extremely well received by all. The menu showcased the versatility and depths of flavour which can be produced by this exceptional Wagyu and we are delighted to have been chosen as Westholme’s exclusive partner to distribute throughout the UK.”
Westholme is grazed for two years on grass before spending a minimum of 270 days feeding on grain. Westholme cattle live free range for the first two years of their life, and it is the unique blend of feed and breeding that gives Westholme its signature taste and marbling.
Westholme operates with integrity and authenticity to create a premium product exceeding industry standard. To achieve this, Westholme is underpinned by the independent Meat Standards Australia (MSA) eating quality system.
The fantastic melt-in-the mouth marbling is available to buy in three grades. Westholme Wagyu can be purchased as grades 4-5mbs, 6-7mbs and, the ultimate premium and exquisitely marbled 8-9mbs.
Sustainability is a key consideration for Westholme. The Wagyu are fed grain comprising of various ingredients, including cotton seed and almond husks. These are not specifically grown for cattle rearing, they are by-products of human consumption, which is one of the ways Westholme is reducing its environmental impact. Westholme brand ambassador Terry Farrell comments:
“What we now call sustainability, is what we at Westholme used to just call farming. It’s of critical importance to us and has been since we started some 200 years ago. We are exceptionally proud of our heritage and take our stewardship of the land extremely seriously. We are responsible for approximately 1 % of the entire Australian land mass (this is equivalent to the size of Belgium), and our Wagyu herd at 120,000 head is now the largest in the world.”
Sold under the Westholme brand, the business is part of Australian Agricultural Company (AACo). Established in 1824, it is the oldest continuously operating company in Australia. The mighty Westholme herd was founded on champion Wagyu bulls and cows that came to Australia from Japan more than two decades ago and are fully traceable. AACo has carefully built on foundational Wagyu bloodlines to produce the most highly credentialed cattle to ever leave Japan.
Classic Fine Foods is the exclusive UK distributor for Westholme. The Wagyu beef is available to buy now and comes chilled in a range of cuts and sizes. For more product information and prices please go to: https://www.classicfinefoods.co.uk or email [email protected]
