Early in your career you worked under Michelin-star Chef Kyle Connaughton at Single Thread -- how did that shape your culinary philosophy and approach to high-end proteins?
Working with Chef Kyle the focus was always about working with the best ingredients while respecting each one and its purpose on a menu. Another thing that stuck with me was knowing who was raising or growing the products is just as important - if not more so - than the product itself. If pride and passion doesn’t radiate when you’re around those producers, what could you expect of their product?
As a chef at a meat importer, you have a unique role. What do you like about it?
As a chef- owned company, one of our mission statements is “for chefs by chefs” meaning, we only work with brands that we feel are unique, have a great story and that we would be proud to serve in our own establishments. Knowing that the brands we work with are not only elevating the protein game but also doing their part to make sure the environment is looked after for the next generations is something we are very proud of and want to share that with our customers
What do you see as Australia’s advantage in the red meat space?
As experienced and world-leading suppliers around the world for beef and lamb, there are just so many Aussie brands who are standing behind their product and can deliver quality and consistency at scale. With year-round growth cycles for grass, grain, and some of the cleanest air and water in the world, there are a lot of advantages for producing top-quality meat that ticks all the boxes.
When you get to go Down Under, what are you most excited about seeing?
I want to see how grassfed looks in person in places like Tasmania, smell the salt in the air and then taste it in the meat. I’ve worked remotely with producers there who consider themselves grass farmers rather than beef farmers. The regenerative practices, rotational grazing, I think I need to see and experience it to really grasp what it means at scale. Even at the abattoir - seeing how we are able to achieve the safety standards and incredible shelf-life on products we sell here in the US.
Aussome stuff Chef! We pick Chef Udave’s brain about Aussie Wagyu and how to get the most out of every cut, here. You don’t want to miss it!