Many beef breeds yield incredible tenderness and have a predisposition towards the intramuscular fat called marbling, but the rare and elite genetics of wagyu are known to yield some of the finest texture, tenderness and beef quality in the world.

According to the Australian Wagyu Association, there’s some evidence that the breed existed up to 35,000 years ago in Japan, but the modern Wagyu breeds are more easily traced to the mid-late 19th Century where British animals were bred with local Japanese breeds to produce what we know today as the original Japanese Wagyu. Producers and graziers started working with Wagyu genetics here in Australia in the 1990’s. And while it’s been a long road with a few bumps and bruises, Australia is now exporting Wagyu products into Japan itself. Australia has earned a reputation domestically and abroad for its high quality Wagyu.

Full Blood or cross bred?

It depends on what you’re doing with it. The full blood Wagyu has a flavour and tradition all its own, there’s no doubt that it’s an elite and exquisite eating experience. While cross-bred Wagyu bumps a contemporary spin into the Wagyu space, giving a result that’s subtle, textural and a little new. For example, the Rangers Valley cross bred Wagyu is a cross of 100% Wagyu and 100% black Angus, a strategic blend that results in the best elements of each breed on the plate.

Our advise it to experiment with all of it. Find out what works for you in a specific menu item. Your high end Yakiniku menu might carry an exciting full blood Wagyu, while a European braised beef cheek might be the perfect scenario for a cross bred Wagyu cut.

What do we offer?

Both.

We carry the prestigious, full blood Robbins Island Wagyu, raised on grass in the far North corner of Tasmania. The animals are finished on supplemental grain, but the process is kept as close to their natural habits as possible and the feed ration has been created with the animal’s natural diet in mind – incorporating a high ratio of grass fodder and kelp seaweed extract from nearby King Island to reflect the local flora.

We also offer full blood AACO Wagyu and Macquarie Wagyu, which is slow grown right here in Queensland for all you locavores. If you’re familiar with the wine term terroir, the same can be said for Wagyu and other proteins. There’s a nuance to the flavour that’s expressed depending on where the animal comes from, what it’s grown on and how it’s raised.

Our cross bred Wagyu offering is from Rangers Valley – it offers an exciting blend of their premium black Angus stock paired with 100% Wagyu.

Wagyu is more than a hot food trend, it’s a subculture and it’s yours to explore. Enjoy.