Coles has reached a landmark deal with Queensland beef processor, Teys Australia, which will enable to supermarket chain to add 30 new Aussie farming families as direct cattle suppliers.
Under the multi-year agreement, Teys Australia, which has been in the Teys family for four-generations, will process cattle purchased by Coles from hundreds of Australian beef farmers at Teys’ Beenleigh facility, located just south of Brisbane.
Teys is Australia’s second-largest meat processor, with 75 years of experience in the Australian beef industry. The arrangement with Teys will further reinforce Coles’ commitment to selling only 100 per cent Australian beef, as well as the long-term sustainability of hundreds of Australian farming families.
“We look forward to supporting Coles’ producer network, and Australian consumers with sustainable and quality beef products under the processing arrangement with Coles at our Beenleigh site,” said Teys Australia’s Chairman and CEO Brad Teys.
Coles already sources directly from more than 100 Queensland cattle farming families from Capella in the north to Goondiwindi in the south, and the new agreements will increase that number to more than 130.
Second-generation cattle farmers, Rob and Anne Bridle from Tara, are one of the 15 new Queensland cattle farming families to begin supplying Coles directly with cattle for the Coles butcher range, which includes cuts from scotch fillet to mince.
Bridle said a regular supply contract with Coles gave him the certainty he needs to invest in the future of his business.
“Working with Coles directly gives me the confidence each week and stability in operations by having a consistent cycle of cattle moving through the feedlot, and cash flow to reinvest in the business,” he said.
The Bridle family has been breeding and producing cattle since 1961 and take a great deal of care to ensure the end result is a top quality, great-tasting product for customers to enjoy.
“We are so proud of the product we are able to provide for Coles customers. When they pick up a packet of Coles meat from the shelves, they are buying beef from a family like ours,” said Bridle.
Coles General Manager for Meat, Charlotte Gilbert, said Coles is investing in the long-term sustainability of its beef suppliers and the Australian meat industry.
“We are extremely proud of the relationships we have built with all of our farmers in Australia. Our new processing arrangement with Teys Australia Beenleigh, and direct livestock supply arrangements with 30 new farming families demonstrates our passion and long-term commitment to the Australian beef industry,” she said.
“In Queensland specifically, we have more than tripled the number of individual farming families we work with from just 37 in 2018 to over 130 farming families today – that’s over 130 farming families we are supporting by purchasing cattle directly from the farm.”