Latest news with #AngusBeef
Otago Daily Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Family ending connection with land
One of the many heritage family farming properties in Oxford will soon be ending its 140-year family connection when it is sold. Island farm has 110ha of prime farming land located 7km from Oxford at View Hill. It has been in the hands of the family of its founder, Henry Engelbrecht, since 1961. But 87-year-old Owen Thomas, who has farmed the property for the past 64 years, is selling up. "I'm too old to continue working the land on my own," he says. Mr Thomas' wife Margaret (nee Engelbrecht) died last year and now the farm and its 130 Angus Beef breeding stock units are for sale. "I've been here since 1961 when Margaret and I bought the property from her father Percy Engelbrecht, the son of Henry," Mr Thomas said. The couple had met at the wedding of Mr Thomas' younger sister and had been farming in the Oxford district. Mrs Thomas' grandfather, Henry Engelbrecht, was one of the many German migrants who had moved to the North Canterbury area to escape harsh conditions in Germany, when he bought the property. History books say in the 1840s times were difficult for rural labourers in the north of Germany. They were entirely at the mercy of the landowning aristocracy. They could leave the service of their master, but in doing so lost the right to live on the land. For many, emigration was the only answer. However, not all immigrants were rural labourers, as many who came were from the educated middle class. They appreciated New Zealand's civil rights and its advocacy of freedom of thought and speech, which contrasted with the severe censorship in the German confederation of the time. Mr Thomas said when he and his wife bought the then dairy farm it was still the same size as when her grandfather Henry had originally established it. "We later bought two extra lots nearby on Sladdens Farm Rd to raise it to 110ha in size.'' He said life was not easy for the newly married couple when they took over the dairy property in 1961. "It was right in the middle of a drought, and we struggled for many years until we established two extra wells and an irrigation system out in the paddocks in the early '80s." They milked 60 cows via a walk-through milking operation until they set up a herringbone shed. "It was very hard in the beginning, but Margaret and I, and [our] four girls, persevered and as a family we got through it." Mr Thomas was at one time the Canterbury Federated Farmers Dairy section head, while Mrs Thomas was well known for her community work in the local church and school. "We carried on dairy farming for 46 years until we decided to sell off the cows in 2007. "We reared dairy heifers for the next four years, then we traded beef stock until seven years ago, when we became a purebred Angus operation." He said he had scaled back from 160 cows to 130 now, and that stock was going to Canterbury Park for auction. "We have always been a regenerative farm. "People forget that Henry started this farm back when green was only a colour, much of the processes he set up is still being practised today." Mr Thomas said he had fielded a bit of interest in the farm, and he hoped it would be sold to a young couple beginning their association with the land. He did not know what the future held, but his daughters were standing beside him as he faced the next step in his life.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
First dibs: 50% off Hong Kong-style weekday lunch buffet
Hey Kee, serving up old-school Cantonese cuisine, has unveiled its new weekday lunch buffet (S$25.80++ per pax) menu for groups of 4. To savour over 30 Hong Kong-style dishes, drop by from Mondays to Fridays, 12pm – 4pm! For over a year, Hey Kee has been building on Hong Kong's dai pai dong culture—characterised by its open-air setup and lively atmosphere— to give it a modern twist. This new buffet features signature dishes limited to one plate per table, as well as free-flow dishes. Hey Kee's buffet launch includes signature dishes like Flambe Angus Beef with Whiskey and 'Hair Dryer' White Pepper Live Prawns, both of which are served with theatrical flair. For the Angus Beef, employees begin by heating a cup of whiskey, drizzling it over the beef chunks and igniting the plate in a dazzling show of flames. Once the flames die down, crunchy flakes of sliced almonds are sprinkled on to add texture. The bed of rosemary underneath brings a light, woody aroma to the beef. Personally, I found this dish to be the highlight of the buffet: the beef was soooo tender, even after it had cooled considerably, without any stray bits of meat that lodge between your teeth as you chew. There was also no 'gamey' taste to the meat because of the herbs and spices. The 'Hair Dryer' White Pepper Live Prawns, true to its name, involves a hair dryer that envelops the air with a peppery aroma. As the prawns are coated with a sauce made from white, black and Sarawak peppercorn, the hair dryer serves to dry out the outer flesh and prevent a mushy texture in the prawns. However, as I'm not exactly a big fan of peppery sauces, the seasonings for this dish were not my favourite. I will admit that this was the largest prawn I've seen in the last five years, though. The prawns are made to order from their seafood tanks in-store, and the meat was juicy and sweet. Amongst the free-flow dishes in Hey Kee's buffet launch, the Scrambled Eggs with was my pick. They were cooked into fluffy, moist chunks – my preferred doneness in scrambled eggs. The char siew added meatiness and chew to the delicate egg, as well as a light caramelised sweetness. Who doesn't have a second stomach for dessert? Just look at that Brown Sugar , fried to order for a crispy outer shell and a liquid centre. The dish was reminiscent of brown sugar milk tea with tapioca pearls, so bubble tea lovers are bound to enjoy it! Hey Kee's weekday lunch buffet was an overall pleasant experience for me. While I loved how fresh all their ingredients were, I would have preferred a lighter hand on seasonings as well as slightly less oil used in the free-flow wok-fried dishes. Nonetheless, I do find that S$25.80++ for the buffet is very much worth it, so head down with three friends on your next weekday while this offer lasts! China's no. 1 char siew rice & O.G. viral HK teddy bear iced tea arrive in SG The post First dibs: 50% off Hong Kong-style weekday lunch buffet appeared first on
ABC News
17-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Quality standards and science credited with the continued rise of Angus cattle
Angus beef may dominate dinner plates today, but almost 50 years ago one of the world's most recognised cattle brands was a breed on the brink. Fearing inconsistent quality was behind declining consumer demand, a group of ranchers roped in a meat scientist from Ohio State University to develop quality standards to make steak great again. Today, it's estimated 52 per cent of Australia's cattle herd has some Angus genetic influence, made possible by generations of precision breeding focused on consumer satisfaction. And while the breeders don't claim it is perfect, the rise to dominance alongside premium brands like Wagyu raises the question — could it be? The foresight to create Certified Angus Beef (CAB) in 1978 has been credited with the breed enjoying name recognition many would envy. President John Stika said it pushed the industry to focus on producing consistency consumers could rely on. Mr Stika said they focused on one of the strengths of the Angus breed — producing a well-marbled high-quality product. Carcasses must meet 10 standards to qualify as Certified Angus Beef, which is then labelled and tracked through merchandising chains to retail stores and restaurants in 50 countries. "A high level of marbling to ensure the flavour, tenderness and juiciness has been one of the key points of differentiation for our brand since day one," Mr Stika said. It was not just in America. In 2023, research commissioned by industry group Angus Australia estimated that over the course of a decade, beef operations that added Angus genetics boosted their profits by a minimum of $116,000. Chief operating officer Carel Teseling said contemporary research on genetic selection to strengthen eating quality looked at four traits, including one called "shear force". "That gives you an idea of how much force you need to put on it to chew it and it gives you an indication of the tenderness of the beef." But before Angus can claim total market dominance, it has to outperform the world's most popular breed, brahman. Preferred in climates like India and Northern Australia, the breed is heat tolerant and tick resistant. But Mr Teseling said scientists were investigating a gene mutation that caused animals to have shorter, "slicker" hair that helped them cope with the heat. "That slick gene is very, very beneficial," he said. Along with consistent eating quality and good marketing, Professor Alison Van Eenennaam from the University of California said future beef breeds needed to be adaptable and sustainable, right down to their DNA. "We lose about 20 per cent of animal protein globally to disease," she said. "If we could go in and tweak the genome to make animals that are no longer susceptible — that to me is a good way to address a disease problem." She said gene-editing tools like CRISPR could guarantee a specific genetic mutation, like the "slick" gene, and countries like Argentina and Brazil were already adopting it. "Our major beef competitors are likely to be able to use this technology ... to produce, for example, disease-resistant cattle." Sinclair Munro's family has bred Angus cattle since 1926 and he's the third generation to chair Angus Australia. Whether it's new methods or old, he has his eye firmly on sustaining future demand. "We have got to keep moving and making continuing improvements," he said. "There's nothing sustainable about beef production when no one likes your beef. His US counterpart, American Angus Association chief executive Mark McCully, agrees. With his country's cattle herd decimated by drought, he said it was more important than ever to focus on quality over quantity. "We've not begun to rebuild our cow herd ... I don't suspect we'll rebuild back to where we were five and 10 years ago," he said. It may not be perfect, but he said it would "keep cattlemen in business and keep consumers coming back".
Otago Daily Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Farm for sale after being in same family for 140 years
One of the many heritage family farming properties in Oxford will soon be ending its 140-year family connection when it is sold. Island farm has 110ha of prime farming land located 7km from Oxford at View Hill. It has been in the hands of the family of its founder, Henry Engelbrecht, since 1961. But 87-year-old Owen Thomas, who has farmed the property for the past 64 years, is selling up. ''I'm too old to continue working the land on my own,'' he says. Owen lost his late wife Margaret Thomas (nee Engelbrecht) last year and now the farm and its 130 Angus Beef breeding stock units are for sale. ''I've been here since 1961 when Margaret and I bought the property from her father Percy Engelbrecht, the son of Henry. The couple had met at the wedding of Owen's younger sister and had been farming in the Oxford district. Margaret's grandfather, Henry Engelbrecht, was one of the many German migrants who had moved to the North Canterbury area to escape harsh conditions in Germany, when he bought the property. History books say in the 1840s times were difficult for rural labourers in the north of Germany. They were entirely at the mercy of the landowning aristocracy. They could leave the service of their master, but in doing so lost the right to live on the land. For many, emigration was the only answer. However not all immigrants were rural labourers, as many who came were from the educated middle class. They appreciated New Zealand's civil rights and its advocacy of freedom of thought and speech, which contrasted with the severe censorship in the German confederation of the time. Owen says when he and Margaret bought the then dairy farm it was still the same size as when grandfather Henry had originally established it. ''We later bought two extra lots nearby on Sladdens Farm Road to raise it to 110ha in size.'' He says life wasn't easy for the newly married couple when they took over the dairy property in 1961. ''It was right in the middle of a drought, and we struggled for many years until we established two extra wells and an irrigation system out in the paddocks in the early 80s.'' They milked 60 cows via a walk-through milking operation until they set up a herringbone shed. ''It was very hard in the beginning, but Margaret and I, and the four girls (their children), persevered and as a family we got through it.'' Owen was at one time the Canterbury Federated Farmers Dairy section head, while Margaret was well known for her community work in the local church and school. ''We carried on dairy farming for 46 years until we decided to sell off the cows in 2007. ''We reared dairy heifers for the next four years, then we traded beef stock until seven years ago, when we became a pure-bred Angus operation.'' He says he has scaled back from 160 cows to 130 now, and that stock is going to Canterbury Park for auction. ''We have always been a regenerative farm. ''People forget that Henry started this farm back when green was only a colour, much of the processes he set up is still being practised today.'' Owen says he has fielded a bit of interest in the farm, and he hopes it will be sold to a young couple beginning their association with the land. ''He doesn't know what the future holds, but his daughters are standing beside him as he faces the next step in his life.
