Cootamundra farmer Ron Ward is over the moon to have supplied the beef used in a number of pies which won big at the Official Great Aussie Pie Competition.
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For the past 27 years he, and his father Arthur before him, has been supplying the ACT’s Griffith Butchery with all of the beef, lamb and veal sold in the store.
This meat was used in Griffith Butchery’s lamb curry which won a silver medal, the Mexican chilli beef pie which won bronze and the beef, bacon and cheese pie, which was also awarded bronze in the pie competition.
Griffith Butchery owner Richard Odell was over the moon at the win, piling praise onto Ron and his operation at Bellevue.
“Customers are coming back because of the taste; they are able to present a meal and be confident of the quality and the taste,” Mr Odell said.
He only sells carcass meat, nothing which came out of a box.
Mr Ward puts the taste of his meat down to fact he does not spray his paddocks with chemicals and has not done so since 1988.
His property is not totally chemically free, although he does lean towards organic practices most of the time such as mulching thistles for weed control.
“The health of the animals comes from the diversity in the pasture,” Mr Ward said.
He is confident the goodness his stock gets from the grass each animal eats translates into superior eating quality.
Bellevue supplies the butchery direct each week with stock processed at Cowra since Manildra Meat Company changed their practices following the purchase of the Cootamundra abattoir, formerly GM Scott.
Mr Ward’s chemical-free philosophy began in the 1980s when he noted chemical resistance on his property.
“There has been some challenges but we try to produce really good quality meat that is clean,” Mr Ward said.
He said he was very pleased but not entirely surprised to hear of Griffith Butchery’s success.
“I visit the shop and talk to customers,” Mr Ward said, adding the feedback is overwhelmingly positive.
With Mr Odell’s son now taking on the butchery and Mr Ward’s son Harry, only 15, showing interest in following his father’s footsteps into farming, Mr Ward said he is hopeful the relationship between Bellevue and Griffith Butchery will continue for many years.
