Backgrounding helps Jack’s Creek guarantee its supply of Black Angus meat to its suppliers.
The business is owned by the Warmoll family. Patrick Warmoll is the managing director.
Glen Alpine, a lease farm located at Werris Creek, and the family’s property at Breeza, are used to background animals for Elders Killara feedlot, Quirindi and Sapphire Feedlot, Goondiwindi.
The Black Angus line is complemented by the family’s involvement in Wagyu beef at Big Jack’s Creek, 20km west of Willow Tree, where they breed their own Wagyu and Angus beef.
The Warmolls are involved in backgrounding as it secures their Black Angus beef supply chain, particularly during winter.
The business sells product marketed as Jack’s Creek Black Angus to 20 export and domestic markets. Japan is their largest market, followed by Saudi Arabia and Europe, and China equally. Patrick said the company has a responsibility to its ends users to have a guaranteed supply of branded product.
“We do backgrounding so we don’t have gaps in our production,” Patrick said.
Angus beef has been part of their business since 2010.
“We’re in the flavour business; we started with Wagyu but we identified there was a market for premium Angus, too,” Patrick said.
As such, they have developed programs that supply a high marbling product.
“The flavour of the Angus is what our markets like,” he said.
Patrick said the Certified Angus Group has been marketing the breed and its qualities well in Australia.
“Angus in itself is a brand and our mark of quality,” Patrick said.
“As well as our marble score, our customers have found it to be a very good product over time.
“Angus is affordable for the majority of export and domestic customers. It’s a good product at a reasonable price.”
Patrick said the company is constantly trying to improve its marbling score. They have been averaging a marbling rating of two and half with marbling as high as nine.
Patrick believes in hormone-free animals.
“The feedback we have received indicates the product is better without it,” he said.
“People feel more comfortable about what they are putting into their body.”
The animals feed on native and annual pastures and are given supplementary feed for pre-conditioning before going off to feedlots.
Patrick said for both supplementary feeding and in the feedlot they preferred to use feed barley in the ration.
“The cattle – being black hide – will naturally carry more heat during summer than other breeds,” he said.
“They might be under shade but it can get hot where they are.
“The animals can get really hot and wheat can be a bit too strong for the animals to digest, so we prefer to use barley.
“It also has a good outcome on the flavour.”