We visit the team at Graze in the NSW country town of Willow Tree - a paddock to plate destination producing, processing, ageing, butchering and serving their own Colly Creek Angus beef.
Family-Owned Breeding Property
Sam Hanna, managing director of Hanna Pastoral Group, discusses their family-owned property, Colly Creek, in Willow Tree. Over 15 years, they have developed Colly Creek into a breeding property specializing in purebred black Angus cattle. They handle everything on-site, including genetics, breeding, backgrounding, and finishing, with a focus on low-stress stock handling for better-quality beef.
Boutique Feedlot Operation
Colly Creek takes a unique approach by operating its boutique feedlot on-site. Calves are raised here and then transferred to Plain View feedlot, where they are fed for 120 days on a high-quality barley-based feed finisher until they reach the desired weight of 600 to 650 kilos. The top 25 cattle each month are selected for Graze restaurant.
Graze at the Willow Tree Inn
Graze restaurant, part of The Willow Tree Inn, was established a decade ago as a meeting place for locals and a platform to showcase the premium beef products produced at Colly Creek. It's located just two kilometers from the property, ensuring one of the smallest paddock-to-plate footprints. The head chef, Ben Davies, emphasizes the value of using beef from the local area in creating their dishes.
Culinary Creativity with Local Beef
Graze restaurant takes pride in its commitment to showcasing local beef. They have a dry aging room where they age 30 whole bodies, and each week, 10 forequarters and rib sets are brought to the restaurant. This provides transparency and allows customers to see the aging process. The kitchen's creative use of the entire body, including mincing, dicing, and preparing various dishes like pies, burgers, and steak sandwiches, makes Colly Creek beef accessible to all. The restaurant also offers a range of house-made charcuterie, including sausages, kabana, chorizo, and salamis, showcasing their dedication to using the whole animal.