Silver Fern Farms’ UK brand launch expanding

Silver Fern Farms’ launch of its branded New Zealand lamb range into British retail giant Tesco (Food NZ, December/January 2012) has been successful, according to the company, which is now looking at expanding the product range available in Britain.

This is the first time that branded lamb has been available in the fresh chilled lamb section of a major grocery chain in the UK. Chief executive Keith Cooper said the company was delighted that “the early good results at Tesco have given us the opportunity to extend the range with the introduction of Lamb Medallions to the current range – Roast, Rumps, Rack and Loin Fillets. We are currently stocking about 250 stores in the UK with pleasing upward trending occurring over the introductory period.”

Silver Fern Farms has utilised Primary Growth Partnership funding to assist with UK consumer research and using branded retail as a test market/prototype will allow the company to begin to meet its commitments to achieving the goals within the framework, Cooper says. The project was also supported by Beef + Lamb NZ with $1 for $1 matched levy funding.

The original launch was supported by an innovative marketing campaign focused on creating awareness at the point of purchase and tightly targeted towards Tesco shoppers using Tesco communications mediums.

The company is also fortunate to have a team of people in the UK who can work alongside its brand team here in New Zealand, group marketing manager Sharon Angus says. “We’re able to think local and act global.”

Published in Food NZ magazine (June/July 2012) .

Differences are more apparent than real

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Differences more apparent than real

Reported differences of opinion in meat industry leaders are more apparent than real, writes industry commentator, Allan Barber, in his latest blog. In spite of recent disagreements, most notably between Keith Cooper of Silver Fern Farms and Beef and Lamb NZ, there doesn’t appear to be too much wrong with relationships between meat companies and the industry good organisation representing sheep and beef farmers, he says. Read more …

PM helps to pick best lamb

The Glammies 2012 judging panel (right to left) are: Prime Minister John Key, Sarah Walker, Ben Batterbury and chief judge Graham Hawkes.

Prime Minister Right Hon Jon Key was on hand at the Upper Clutha A&P Show in Wanaka to select the nation’s best lamb in March.

The Prime Minister joined the judging panel for the 2012 Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) Golden Lamb Awards (Glammies) at the A&P show in March. Others on the panel were 2011 Supercross World Cup Champion, Sarah Walker, 2012 B+LNZ ambassador chef Ben Batterbury and chief judge and Invercargill chef Graham Hawkes.

Don Morrison of Gore with his Growbulk lamb was named as 2012 Grand Champion, taking home a cheque for $2,000, the Glammies Grand Champion trophy plus a bottle of Mt Difficulty pinot noir wine. Each finalist won a plaque showing their placing.

The Glammies, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Genetics, attracted a record 150 entries which all underwent testing at Carne Technologies. Factors such as tenderness, colour and succulence were tested to determine the top twenty finalists tasted in Wanaka.

The competition is supported by processing plants across the country, including: Alliance, Ashburton Meat Processors, Auckland Meat Processors, Blue Sky Meats (NZ) Ltd, Land Meat NZ Ltd, Silver Fern Farms and Taylor Preston.

Published in Food NZ magazine (April/May 2012).