Matangi Angus Beef Breaks New Ground With Boutique Butchery In Hawke’s Bay

Hawke’s Bay, 13 March 2024 – Twelve months ago, the team at Matangi Angus Beef were in gumboots beginning repairs to their farm after Cyclone Gabrielle laid waste to much of it – a far cry from the position they now find themselves in as they open their brand new boutique butchery in the heart of Hastings’ foodie district, delivering an innovative fine food experience to New Zealanders and Hawkes Bay visitors.

The boutique butchery sits alongside other artisan food producers in Heretaunga Street, including Ya Bon Bakery and Hastings Distillers and will extend an already established online shop that supplies customers all over New Zealand via overnight courier. Designed to replicate the cellar door concept at wineries – but for Angus Beef – it includes a state-of-the-art butchery, bespoke dry ageing facilities, a showroom featuring the Matangi Beef story and a shopping area that will be open to local customers on Thursdays and Fridays from March 14 onwards.

Visitors to Matangi’s boutique butchery will immediately see the custom-built dry-ageing cabinets. Relatively new to New Zealand, dry ageing uses temperature and moisture control to age the meat perfectly for additional tenderness and flavour. Nicky Gaddum, Matangi’s Business Manager, says customers can select their piece of meat and dry age it to order, breaking new ground among the country’s finest food producers.

“We are the only producer across New Zealand to breed, farm, finish, butcher and dry-age grass-fed Angus beef to order. In opening the butchery, we want to encourage people to select their cuts and have them dry-aged to taste. Each cut will have the customer’s name attached so they can stop by and check how their cut is going. The fact this happens just kilometres from where the beef is farmed is unique and adds to the speciality of what we do,” says Nicky.

Matangi Butchery will employ five staff, including two butchers skilled in the ‘Matangi way’ of finishing meat. Owner Robert Haselsteiner says 65 per cent of its beef this season is achieving a marble score of 4 or more, considered reserve grade and full of taste.

“We are focused on excellence with everything we do – breeding, farming and butchering. From the genetics of our herd and our sustainable farming practices to ageing the beef quarters 21 days on the bone and fine cutting with artisan butchery skills, we commit a lot of time and passion to delivering the best grass-fed Angus Beef to our private customers and restaurant partners in New Zealand,” he says.

Supplying many top restaurants like Craggy Range, Embra or Blanket Bay Lodge, along with its private clients, Matangi is excited to open its doors alongside other artisans and offer Hawke’s Bay a new fine food experience.

“We’ve come a long way in twelve months. The new boutique butchery takes Matangi full circle, realising a long-held dream of ours; we’re excited to expand our local offering and showcase what we do on the farm and in the butchery alongside some of Hawke’s Bay's best food producers,” says Robert.

Matangi Butchery will open on Thursday, March 14, 2023, at 9:00 a.m., and is located at 308 Heretaunga Street East, Hastings.

About Matangi

Matangi Prime Meat produces Angus Beef bred with purpose, grown with patience, and crafted with precision - exclusively for the NZ market. Matangi has a bespoke and ethical approach to farming, working with a carefully selected, small, closed herd and farming land that is sustainably optimised for the best soil and water quality, ensuring we maintain and improve the environment for the future and obtain the best quality meat. Matangi’s in-house butchery team carefully crafts premium cuts before providing them directly and seasonally to conscientious and discerning NZ customers.

To find out more, visit www.matangi.co.nz

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