Aussie Beef Mate Club launched in Vietnam

Hosted by Aussie Beef & Lamb (ABL) and led by the first Australian Beef Ambassador in Vietnam, the launch aimed to create a platform for professional chefs and food bloggers to share knowledge, broaden networking opportunities, and help develop the food and beverages community.

Chefs, food experts, and bloggers at the launch event of the Aussie Beef Mate club

At the launch, chefs and food experts shared their experience about the Australian beef and lamb industry, the processing of Australian-standard beef, cooking methods, and more. For more than 200 years, Australia has been known as a leading country in the production of export-quality beef, goat, and lamb.

Chef George Bloomfield shared, "Australian cuisine is a mixture of many different culinary cultures from the Mediterranean and Asia. In a modern and luxurious dining space, diners' taste buds are awakened by the warm scent of burnt wood and the signature smell of fine beef."

Chef Bloomfield is the head chef at Khoi Restaurant, where the launch was hosted. As a talented Australian chef, he started his career when he was 16 at a number of prestigious restaurants in Australia and Japan. He is renowned for the unique wood fire cooking technique, which helps to bring out the exquisite flavours that cannot be found when cooking with a gas stove.

George Bloomfield, chef at Khoi Restaurant, shares the Australian-standard beef processing methods of wood-fire grilling and dry ageing

Australian beef must undergo a rigorous process that includes a series of standards combined with highly advanced technology. The superior quality is a testament to the efforts of an entire red meat industry, which has been heading the global list of animal welfare, safety, and sustainability for more than two decades.

Aussie Beef Mates is a global beef ambassador project that identifies influential food experts that are passionate and actively committed to the growth of Australian beef’s global reputation.

Valeska, manager of the Southeast Asia region at Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA) said, “Australian beef is always highly appreciated, both internationally and locally. ABL’s products are provided by generations of skilled farmers, crafted by the best processors, and shipped to the most trusted suppliers. Every dish we bring to your table is authentically Australian and wrapped with pure delight.”

Talking to VIR, Valeska said, “Australia has lots of pasture and a unique and clean environment. So, the animals here really have the best care and live the best lives. Farmer, management system, environmental, and quality requirements are the factors that make Aussie beef different from that of other countries.”

Valeska, manager of the Southeast Asia region at Meat & Livestock Australia

“We choose this period of time to announce the launch because we find that there is enormous potential in Southeast Asian markets, including Vietnam, because of population growth and the increasing middle-income sector. Moreover, Vietnamese actually love beef,” she added.

According to an MLA study, Vietnam is one of Australia’s fastest-growing red meat export markets, underpinned by a large population with rising incomes, resilient economic growth, continued urbanisation, and the growing popularity of red meat, particularly among the youth.

Despite high cattle prices, Vietnam remains Australia’s largest slaughtered cattle destination, with 60,903 head shipped in 2021-2022. The combined total export value of red meat, offal, and livestock sent to Vietnam for 2021-2022 was $209 million, with boxed beef accounting for 42 per cent of the value share due to strong demand fundamentals for trusted, high-quality, and safe Australian red meat.

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