Luxury brand to test market

Merino branded meat will be rolled out to more Kiwi diners and luxury global markets over the next year.

A mix of high-priced racks and legs with unconventional cuts of lamb such as short ribs are under the new luxury brand of Silere Alpine Origin Merino.

The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) is developing the merino brand in a joint venture with the meat company Silver Fern Farms (SFF) and plans to build on merino wool’s clever marketing with more innovative twists.

Silere merino has been on the menu at top restaurants in New Zealand with distribution to increase and will be sent to more overseas outlets after positive feedback.

NZM chief executive John Brakenridge said NZM would use the lessons it had learned from marketing and selling merino wool to fast track the Silere programme.

‘‘Just like the fibre it will take a few years to roll out, but we have learnings with the fibre and although it wasn’t without its obstacles, now we have the skill base to help us take it through. Over the next 12 months, the New Zealand consumer will see more of this and so too will select global consumers.’’

He said the joint venture was trying to challenge conventional thinking as much as possible and would not differentiate between lamb and hogget meat.

‘‘This lamb/hogget thing is disruptive thinking. When they cut two teeth we are told they have to be discounted. Why do we do this? Most farmers tell us the flavour improves at that point so we need to challenge the status quo.’’

Silere merino will be made available online next month and NZM is looking at other innovations including a mark on river stones to go on restaurant tables so diners can scan their ipod over them to get the story of merino meat.

‘‘When we go to chefs so much of what they do is about theatre and instead of selling them meat we need to help them sell the meat, tell the story and (tease out) this theatre.’’

Brakenridge said the relationship between SFF with a $2 billion turnover and NZM with revenue of

‘ Over the next 12 months the New Zealand consumer will see more of merino branded meat.

John Brakenridge

NZM chief executive

$130m would work because of their mutual skills.

Close to 190,000 lambs and hoggets are committed to the merino meat programme in threeyear contracts.

Meanwhile, NZM says it is taking a lead role in supporting Christchurch’s economic recovery by holding its conference at the CBS Canterbury Arena on April 30.

Brakenridge said the company had considered holding the event in Auckland or Queenstown, but chose to support Christchurch to assist the quake recovery.

People in the merino industry were innovators and adaptors of technology and this would be the theme of the bi-annual conference, tying in with a rebuilding city, he said.

‘‘They are saying it’s the first major conference to be held back in Christchurch. We have got a vision that this region and the South Island should be seen as the Silicon Valley of global primary production and innovation.’’

NZM has received strong support from outside of the city with Icebreaker founder Jeremy Moon and SFF chief executive Keith Cooper to join about 500 merino farmers at the event.

A Chinese group with top makers, spinners and brand representatives will also attend.