Mark and Mel Pittock

Lysiane Belton, daughter of Bill and Hilery Belton of Urila Lowline Stud on the Mornington Peninsula, looks at her parents experience of building local networks and how that can reap rewards for the smaller breeders in order to participate in the Certified Lowline Beef supply chain.

A growing proportion of consumers are choosing quality over quantity and they also want to understand the supply chain, particularly the provenance of beef.

One of the avenues for selling their Certified Lowline Beef, grass fattened on lush local pastures, is local butchers Mark and Mel Pittock, who own Balnarring Village Meats.

The Pittocks operate a business that specialises in local and niche meats, plus stock a diverse range of regional produce and wine. Local produce is definitely what their customers want so they are happy to work with smaller beef producers on the peninsula and the resulting seasonality of the supply.

Mark uses his experience to guide what he stocks but also listens to the client’s feedback and demands. The beef he sells is predominantly grass fed and that is driven by customer demand. ‘I know it sounds obvious, but quality is the most important factor’ he says.

To gain a demand for a product, however, there has to be a consistent supply. This is the ideal opportunity for Lowline breeders to network and create a co operative local supply to fill the demand for this premium product.