Royalburn Station wins big at NZ Food Awards
Royalburn Station has been recognised as one of New Zealand’s top food producers at the NZ Food Awards.
The large-scale regenerative farm on the outskirts of Queenstown, owned by Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie, won the Primary Sector Award for the Royalburn Fine Lamb.
Fifth-generation farmer Bagrie says it was the first time Royalburn had entered the prestigious annual awards, and they couldn’t be happier with the result.
“We have a very dedicated, hard-working team at Royalburn Station and this award is a credit to them,” he says.
“Royalburn Station grows enough food to feed at least 20,000 people so it’s a large-scale operation, but we are demonstrating that it is possible to be a genuine farm-to-plate operation producing excellent-quality food that’s sympathetic to the animals and the environment, as well as being a profitable enterprise.”
The station has fast become a leader in ethical, regenerative farming, and sustainable food production.
It is one of only a handful of farms in NZ with an on-farm micro-abattoir and complementary butchery which is an integral part of producing its ethical lamb. The station supplies direct to many of the country’s top-rated restaurants and premium food specialists.
NZ Food Awards head judge Kay McMath says they were impressed by the tender, succulent lamb, as well as Royalburn Station’s commitment to an integrated and sustainable approach.
“Royalburn Fine Lamb is a high-quality, dry-aged, 100% pasture-fed NZ lamb specifically bred for its meat-eating qualities,” she says. “The lambs are raised and processed on the station using their own micro-abattoir – it’s a true representation of the ‘paddock to plate’ operation.”
Royalburn Station was also a finalist for the Artisan Award and the Business Innovation Award at the NZ Food Awards, held in Auckland on Thursday night
“It’s motivating for us to be able to connect people to their food and how it’s grown,” Bagrie says. “Royalburn Station is one of Aotearoa’s oldest farms and I think we now have an awesome opportunity, and a responsibility, to help bridge the gap between what’s on our plates and how it’s grown to ultimately build a more resilient and sustainable food system in NZ.”
The NZ Food Awards focus on innovation, sustainability and excellence and are open to food and beverage manufacturers of all sizes, primary food producers, food service providers and ingredient supply companies. Nearly 400 entries from 124 companies from around the motu were submitted, and finalists were subjected to one of the most robust judging processes in the NZ food industry.
