International Pavilion 3611, 25-27 March at ExCeL, London.

This year’s Brand Australia stand at IFE, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, is bigger and better than ever, with the renowned Aussie Beef & Lamb brand bringing a little extra sizzle to the stand.

The team will offer visitors the chance to sample the very best red meat exports from Australia, with Aussie chef Graham Green cooking up samples of Australia’s finest Wagyu, grain-fed beef and pasture raised lamb throughout the day.

Thanks to the Free Trade Agreement between the UK and Australia, Aussie Beef & Lamb is now able to showcase more premium red meat products to UK foodservice and hospitality professionals at the event.

Seven of Australia’s finest beef and lamb producers will be making the trip to London’s Excel arena in March including two NEW products being unveiled to the UK market:

Signature Beef grain-fed Angus Decades of selections, years of nurturing each animal, months of finely adjusted nutrition and finally weeks of ageing give rise to this product’s deep consistent flavour and enhanced marbling.

King River Wagyu: A family run business with over 200 years of experience in beef production, cattle that roam rich river pastures with abundant grasses and fresh water, and a highly selective breeding programme combine to produce some of the finest Wagyu beef available.

Also available to sample will be:

• Grain-fed Angus beef from JBS Australia, Thomas Foods International and Teys Australia
• Grass-fed beef from JBS Australia
• Australian Wagyu from Jack’s Creek with heavy marbling - awarded the coveted title of World’s Best Steak at this year’s World Steak Challenge.
• Pasture raised lamb from Fletcher International, Thomas Foods and JBS Australia

Stephen Edwards, Meat & Livestock Australia Business Manager UK said: “We’re really excited for this year’s show, it’s our second year now for the Aussie Beef & Lamb brand and we’ll be doing a lot more this year. We have some premium products to show off, and some that are new to the UK, so I’d urge everyone to factor in a visit to the booth to taste just how good our beef and lamb is. 

“It’s been a fantastic nine months since the FTA was signed between Australia and the UK. We’re definitely seeing an increased interest from the foodservice sector and the food industry as a whole.

“People are learning more about Australia’s high standards of food safety and animal welfare, plus we’re busting some myths along the way.  We have been sharing details about our commitment to the environment too. Our aim is to become carbon neutral by 2030, through our CN30 programme.

“Our Aussie Beef & Lamb brand is gaining recognition as a trusted trademark that stands for high-quality, premium red meat products from animals that have been well cared for.

“There’s an educational element to the Brand Australia booth too. If anyone has questions around any aspect of Australian meat imports to the UK, we’ll be on hand to explain all about our world-leading traceability, animal welfare, grading and classification programmes. These are recognised frameworks that influence the stringent standards our meat has to adhere to, not just in Australia, but in order to be imported into the UK as well.”

Meat Imports from Australia to the UK in 2023 and beyond

The world-renowned Aussie Beef & Lamb (ABL) brand launched in the UK following the historic UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) June 2023, offering a point of difference for UK foodservice professionals and retail buyers looking for high-quality, consistent and sustainable red meat to complement British product.

Since then, it has been used to promote Australian red meat in the UK, representing beef, lamb, goat and veal, the Aussie Beef & Lamb brand denotes premium products and quality assurance, with high levels of traceability.

Commenting on the import market from Australia since the FTA was agreed, Stephen Edwards continued: “Our focus for beef has been on the higher price point and grain-fed products. This is where we felt there was a gap in the UK market for some of our more premium beef exports such as Australian Wagyu and our highly marbled grain-fed beef, that isn't as widely available here. There has been a good increase in chilled grain-fed beef since the FTA entered into force in June 2023 but still at very low volumes compared to other global markets.

“When we analyse the data, over the course of 2023 there was a fairly even split between grass-fed and grain-fed beef exports to the UK, which shows our grass-fed beef is mainly competing with Irish and South American beef in the foodservice sector.

“In terms of lamb imports we have seen a leap for both chilled and frozen products. The UK imports lamb due to seasonal fluctuations in production, usually from countries such as New Zealand and Ireland. So, I'm pleased that we have been able to leverage a percentage increase and become a competitor for this import market. 

“Overall, the figures are where we would hope to be nine months into the Free Trade Agreement. I hope it does provide some reassurance as well. Our intention was never and will never be to flood the UK market with cheap imports but to service some of the existing import need.

“We offer premium products at a price point that reflects that quality, and that is the position we would like to uphold going forward.”

International Salon Culinaire Sponsorship

The Aussie Beef & Lamb brand will also this year sponsor the prestigious International Salon Culinaire competitions at IFE/HRC as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week.

'Beef & Beyond, an Australian Culinary Challenge sponsored by Aussie Beef' will take place on Monday 25 March and will see Aussie Beef, in partnership with Trade & Investment Queensland challenge chefs to produce two covers of a main course dish showcasing Australian Wagyu beef. 

This will be followed by 'Lamb Challenge 2024 sponsored by Aussie Lamb', where chefs will be asked to create a main course for two covers taken from a chump of lamb supplied by Aussie Lamb. 

Stephen Edwards will sit on the judging panel alongside senior members of the leading chefs’ associations.

Talking of the competition, Stephen said: “To be sponsoring such an esteemed competition is a brilliant opportunity for us. I’m looking forward to meeting the chefs taking part and seeing what they have planned.

“I have some previous experience in judging chef competitions, so I’d like to say I have a good eye, plus I’m a beef and lamb enthusiast of course. It will be interesting to seeing what these talented chefs think of our products and how they incorporate them into their dishes.”

A trained chef and food industry professional of over 40 years, Stephen has judged the Royal Sydney Fine Foods beef and lamb competitions for the previous 10 years, along with various chef competitions in the UK. He sat on the judging panel at the World Steak Challenge in Amsterdam in October and is a registered judge with Steak Cookoff Association SCA, USA.

Aussie Beef & Lamb will be located with Brand Australia in the International Pavilions Booth 3611 at IFE from 25-27 March at ExCeL, London.