Nature leads, flavour follows: Exploring the Westholme Wagyu commitment

This is key for our Head Chef, David Ball, and so you’ll always find an array of ethical, sustainable suppliers throughout our ever-changing menus. These include Westholme Wagyu, which produces Nature-led Australian Wagyu across 16 million acres of land, or one per cent of the country.

An esteemed operation guided by the natural ecosystem of Northern Australia, their cuts are not just sought after by iconic local establishments, but all around the world. They feature at Heston Blumenthal's Dinner in Dubai and social media favourite, Sketch in London.

Here Johanna Minchin, Customer Marketing Manager at Westholme delves into the company’s forward-thinking approach, their application of the Five Domains framework, and signature flavour profile, plus we share how you can enjoy their products with us at Beverly.

Could you tell us a little about Westholme’s history?

Westholme Wagyu is owned and operated by Australian Agricultural Company (AACo). Established in 1824, AACo is Australia’s largest integrated cattle and beef producer, and the oldest continuously operating company in Australia.

The Westholme stud contains the most highly credential fullblood Japanese Black Wagyu sires and breeding females to ever leave Japan and is the largest fullblood herd outside Japan. Our genetic lineage is founded on the deep Japanese Black lines Tajima, Fujiyoshi and Kedaka.

Our operation is manned by over 20 different stations dotted across the landscape from Brisbane to Darwin. Each station performs an essential role in our end-to-end supply chain – from breeding and genetics to grazing, farming, and feed lotting.

These outfits are often family-run operations led by generations of men and women who have devoted their lives to agriculture and caring for the land.

How would you describe your “nature-led” approach?

There's a saying at Westholme, "our real job is to grow the grass and that nature does the rest." Our careful management of land resources continues to see improvement in quality over time. We've continued our sustainable stocking model and satellite assisted forage program. At Westholme, we are invested in building a circular sustainable ecosystem that integrates crops and cattle adding carbon and natural minerals back into the soil.

Could you talk us through your animal welfare practices?

Healthy, happy and well cared for cattle are integral to our nature-led approach. Providing care to our animals is part of who we are and our expertise in animal handling is something our people are immensely proud of.

Today, we employ the Five Domains approach, which moves beyond preventing bad animal welfare to actively promoting positive animal welfare and ultimately a positive mental state underpinned by proactive care.

What would you say is unique about a Westholme cut?

Bred to thrive in Northern Australia, Westholme cattle are born wild and free to roam, grazing pristine pastures of native grasses. They are grain-finished on feed that is grown on station or locally sourced. This ensures consistent, high quality and balanced marbling. Our Nature-led approach produces Wagyu with a signature flavour from our land. Along with this distinctive flavour, you can expect a cut that is rich and buttery with a familiar beefiness and texture.

What’s your favourite way to see a Westholme cut cooked and served while dining out?

You can’t go past a Westholme striploin or ribeye chargrilled over fire to create that nice crust, finished with a generous pinch of salt. Keep it simple and let the flavour shine.

Westholme can be found on the menus of some of the world’s top restaurants, and your cuts are quite exclusive. What do you look for when forming these partnerships?

We work with chefs around the world who share our philosophy around caring for the land and respecting the animal. We love working with chefs who are passionate about delivering the best quality experience for the diner and championing our Australian provenance.

Learn more about the Westholme story and craft

Visit their website
Head to their Instagram

Try a premium Westholme cut

Visit us to experience their products firsthand. You’ll find a grass fed 40-day dry-aged short loin available as part of the Dad’s Roast we’re hosting for Father’s Day, and their ribeye on our à la carte menu.‍