THE demand for mobile butchers in north-east Victoria is increasing, with farmers looking for an alternative way to butcher.
Chris Hawke, who runs Chris’s Quality Cuts, started his mobile butcher business in December last year and found demand has been growing in areas of Victoria such as Euroa, Strathbogie and Benalla.
“I’m going to two farms a week and with the way demand is going, I can see this gradually increasing to every day,” Mr Hawke said.
“It’s really been a word of mouth thing in the north-east – that is how the business has evolved.”
Mr Hawke has 17 years experience in butchering as well as 10 years in boning rooms and the slaughter process, so mobile butchering was an ideal business for him.
He said there were an increasing number of benefits with this type of butchering, and the farmer was seeing the results of these benefits.
“Transport is one of the big factors,” Mr Hawke said.
“Farmers find the process is cost effective because they don’t have to transport their animals to an abattoir.
“The whole process takes place on their property.”
This is beneficial not only to the farmer but also the consumer.
Increasingly, consumers want to know more about where their meat has come from and the butchering processes involved.
So producers selling their meat at local farmers’ markets or from the gate can assure their customers that not only does the meat come from their own animals, the meat has also been butchered on their property.
With this style of butchering, the farmer has the opportunity to watch the whole process.
“The animals are hung on the farmer’s property, and after a week I return to complete the specific cuts required,” Mr Hawke said.
“One of the main benefits (of this process) is that farmers know the meat is theirs – the animal hasn’t left their property.”
Packaging and labelling also occurs on property and Mr Hawke’s equipment is taken by trailer to each farm.
“Some people are just looking for the one animal, but it depends on if the meat is just for them or for private sale.
“A typical request can be a couple of steers and lambs.”
Mr Hawke is a country boy at heart, having grown up in Kyneton, Vic, and is passionate about providing excellent quality cuts.
The father of seven said the family business is built on trust between his family and their clients.
With this trend steadily evolving, mobile butchering is looking to have a strong future.