M Y S AY VENISON SALES SOARING AS SPRING NEARS INNOVATIONS TO HELP BUMPER CROP PRODUCTION The horticulture sector is booming and is set to have another bumper crop this season which will put more pressure on labour supply. The sector is looking at solutions, and robotics is now a potential solution, albeit at a cost. However, a cost analysis comparing robotic tray packing to labour packing has identified that leasing could be a way of introducing robotics. EQM supports this option as it offers the same for its labelling equipment. “It’s been successful for our label clients and it’s this ‘out of the box’ thinking that will take the sector forward,” Anthony Bloxham of EQM says. For more information, Freephone 0800 147 847 Email sales@eqm.co.nz | Web www.eqm.co.nz 12 OCTOBER 2016 Produce Snack Meat Beverage Dairy Recognising the health and taste benefits of venison, regarding it as a year-round nutrition option and its use on television shows like Masterchef has seen an unprecedented surge in demand from consumers and professional chefs in the run-up to spring and summer. Rotorua-based Duncan Venison is selling considerable quantities of venison to restaurants and home cooks each week, and with no sign of sales slowing down as the warmer weather approaches, is expecting its new products such as the ‘Bistro Fillet from Pãmu Farms’ to majorly exceed budgeted volumes. Since its July launch, the pan-ready cut developed earlier this year has topped its planned volumes by 50%, and is now on the menu of restaurants like The Sugar Club, Sails Restaurant, The French Café, Paris Butter and Clooney…and debunking its image as gamey and hard to cook. “People thought that venison was a winter or autumn dish, best paired with a heavier mash or berry sauce,” Duncan Venison co-owner Vinnie Duncan says. “That attitude is changing. Consumers and chefs are realising that it actually has a very delicate taste, and doesn’t require much effort in the kitchen. “They are also starting to understand that it’s a nutritious, sustainable meat that is grown and available all- -yearround. We’re seeing a lot of creative spring dishes on menus – from venison salads to carpaccios and risottos.” Ongoing innovation and education is key to making venison more appealing and accessible to both restaurants and home cooks, Duncan says. “New cuts like the Bistro Fillet, which we developed with a team of chefs earlier this year, are proving very popular. It’s important to create more options for customers, including product that is easier to prepare and cook, while still providing a high quality eating experience.” With restaurants using venison yearround and its profile nationally on television shows, consumers are happier and more confident to buy and cook venison. Duncan Venison has offices in Auckland and Mosgiel, with a processing plant in Rotorua. “People thought that venison was a winter or autumn dish, best paired with a heavier mash or berry sauce,”
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