Grass-fed beef for niche Doha market

THE SPREAD: Executive chefs from different hotels examining the beef samples presented by Silver Fern Farms.By Umer NangianaSilver Fern Farms, a leading New Zealand processor, marketer and exporter of premium quality red meat products, has introduced Premier Selection Reserve Beef and Silere Alpine Origin Merino to discerning chefs in Qatar. Launched at a special invite-only event at Intercontinental Hotel for the executive chefs from leading hotels, premium buyers and the members of media, the products will be rolled out in partnership with the company’s local distributor, Gulf Centre for Foodstuffs.Premier Selection Reserve Beef and Silere Alpine Origin Merino are two new premium-quality, chilled, halal-certified products aimed at enriching the quality of product available to high-end chefs and consumers in Qatar. “We take the best of the animals that come through in production and we evaluate them on a system called Eating Quality System and we grade them. We test seven different attributes of the animals and choose the best,” Stu Donald, Regional Manager, Middle East, Sliver Fern Farms told Community.The products are selected through sampling, almost 97,000 samples taken, and asking the consumers what is the best. “The consumers told us that the key points are the tenderness, taste and juiciness in meat. We took the samples and we put them in laboratories and universities and we studied it and we discover that the best way to get the best product is to choose the seven attributes,” Donald added.  Qatar, he said, is one of the first places in the world that will get the product. In Qatar there is a high value consumer spending and the people want quality in this market. They all understand quality and they are always seeking grass-fed red meat and it is possibly the best product in the world, said Donald. The regional manager said all general cuts are available, including the popular tenderloin, in the market. What makes the New Zealand beef best in the world is its consistency, said Donald. “New Zealand from top to bottom, from side to side, is very similar landscape. The grass grows consistently across the whole country. There are same breeds of animals across the country generally, so animal that is eating that grass is very consistent,” said the manager Middle East for Silver Ferns.  He stressed that these animals grow naturally and are less stressed with no added ingredients into their food products. Around 40 to 50 chefs from top hotels across the market attended the event where they were briefed about the product and the company in general. “The key part for us is that we want to work with partners to help us show the consumer what they are eating so they know they are eating grass-fed. The good thing is the smart chefs are starting to see the value of the natural product; a grass-fed, hormone-free product,” said Donald.People will find this high-end product in open market as they are launching it in Carrefour. They are the first customers that are taking the high-end product and they have been selling the company’s regular range for a long time.Georges Chihane, Culinary Consultant for Gulf Centre for Foodstuffs told Community that he has been cooking this kind of meat for six years now. “The special in this meat is the feeding that the meat is getting, then the taste and content of fat. It is naturally grass-fed 100%, the content of fat is less as it is grass-fed and you can feel this earthy taste in it. It is not the fatty taste, it is more earthy taste,” said Chihane. “The product is very good and I like it. We have been promoting this product for six years now,” he added.He said he mainly uses it for both the tenderloin of a La Carte menu, BBQ grills and the top-side to make the oriental style shawarma and burger patties which get a very nice texture, flavour, taste and dark colour. The company sees a significant opportunity in Qatar for these premium products, particularly with the dynamic growth of the hotel sector in recent years. According to a 2014 report from Hotel Management International, the number of hotels in Qatar will have increased by 389% by 2022, rising to a total of 298 hotels from just 61 in the whole country in 2009.With food and beverage services becoming an increasingly important differentiator, Silver Fern Farms believes this new range of Halal-certified, free-range meat products will attract a new range of health-conscious and discerning customers.The launch event was attended by New Zealand Trade Commissioner Haylon Smith among others. “We are delighted to introduce the highest quality foods to customers in Qatar. When you dine at the country’s best restaurants, you expect the world’s best beef and lamb on their menus, and the exceptional quality of Silver Fern Farms’ red meat from New Zealand is indisputable,” Director of Gulf Centre for Foodstuffs, Salah Alkhiyami. The guests were served lunch at Intercontinental Hotel’s Fish Market restaurant which was prepared by Chihane and the hotel’s chef, Talal.