Hayden Quinn, Australia’s favourite surfer-turned-passionate foodie, spent a lot of time with the Our Cow team on his hit Channel 10 TV show, Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn, this year.
Hayden travels all over the country to learn about Aussie farmers’ produce and the individual stories behind their farms, connecting Aussie households with where their food comes from, and showcasing the top quality producers while he's at it.
It was an absolute pleasure for Our Cow to be featured across Season 5 & 6 of the show, and for Hayden to visit and interview a number of the special farming families we work with. Part of the joy of watching Taste of Australia is in the personable and interesting way Hayden interviews farmers, encouraging them to tell their stories and offer insight into why their farm means so much to them.
This is a side of farming we don’t often see or think about when we pick up meat from the supermarket, but at Our Cow we believe it’s so important to truly consider where your produce comes from and what it actually takes to supply it. This is why we were stoked to be involved in Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn this year!
We loved telling Hayden about the Our Cow story. Like so many small businesses, ours originated from necessity as we struggled to keep our farm going after seasons of extreme drought and then devastating bushfires that affected so many of our neighbours in Northern Rivers NSW.
We thought we’d try and sell one body of our meat on Facebook, but to our surprise, sold six! We sought help from our neighbours and this is how Our Cow was born; top quality produce from local, family farms, going straight from paddock to plate. Hayden couldn’t believe how much our supply centre in Casino, "Cow Town", has grown since he first met us; a testament to the top quality of our meat and our desire to link customers directly with farmers.
Hayden also loved the opportunity to get out on the motorbike and help muster cattle with Dave, as well as trying out his skills on the UTV at Blue Fattoria, Our Cow farmer John’s Angus Beef farm in Lismore.
He could see for himself that when we say our meat here at Our Cow is ‘free range’, we’re not exaggerating! Our cattle have the most beautiful, lush, spacious pastures to roam in, lots of fresh water and plenty of shade. Hayden couldn’t believe how quiet John’s cows were during mustering; a clear indication of “zero stress, just what we want for them”, as John so aptly put it!
Such a great life for the animals - an absolute, non-negotiable necessity for any farmer working Our Cow - is also clearly reflected in the taste, tenderness and quality of our meat. Hayden loved trying out fresh recipes from a selection of Our Cow’s sirloin, shank and sausages and enjoyed using some of our new meat rubs to really enhance natural flavour even further.
Hayden also loved meeting Our Cow farmers Rick and Sue from Upper Horton NSW, and Kym and Tony from Kahmoo Pastoral in the New England Highlands. Again, he was so impressed with the totally natural, free-range environment their livestock enjoy and the obvious pride our farmers have in their farms and livestock.
When he visited Steve and Michelle’s Eungella Shorthorn farm in Dorrigo NSW, Hayden was blown away by the time, energy and effort Steve and Michelle put into their breeding. Their cows love being around them, and you can see why!
Hayden also visited our Free Range Pork Farmers Mark & Charisse, our Organic Chicken Farmer Katrina, and had a memorable stay with our Sam & Emma-Rose at their beauiful sheep farm through his travels - he really put in the km's!
We are so proud and grateful that Hayden chose to feature Our Cow in Taste of Australia and to help us really highlight the benefits of our paddock-to-plate philosophy.
Unlike the mainstream Australian livestock industry, Our Cow guarantees our farmers a set price every month for their livestock, hence providing stability during times of constant environmental challenges. In turn, they are able to dedicate themselves to the betterment of their farms and livestock and allow customers from all over Australia to know, without a doubt, exactly where their meat has come from.
Thank you, Hayden and Taste of Australia, for highlighting our story and those of our very special farming families. So many Aussie farmers are out there doing amazing things in the background, and to be able to tell their stories on such a large scale is really worthwhile.
As Hayden himself said, Our Cow meat “tastes the best, is good for you, and is absolute top quality stuff coming from top quality farmers”. We couldn’t agree with you more, Hayden!
You can watch us on Season 5 & 6 of Taste of Australia with Hayden Quinn here.
