Leaders in the Queensland red meat industry were recognised in the Queensland Red Meat Awards in Brisbane during the Royal Queensland Show this week.

Hosted by AgForce Queensland, the awards recognised outstanding achievement in red meat production, retail and dining.

Major winners at Wednesday’s awards were:

Innovation in Red Meat – Retailer of the Year Award – Sponsored by Meat & Livestock Australia:

Clanceyjames
Queensland owned and operated, Clanceyjames has four stores throughout the greater Brisbane area and prides itself on offering consistent high quality products. Their forward thinking as a red meat retailer gives customers an educated and innovative experience.

Best Red Meat Restaurant – Regional Award – Sponsored by Meat & Livestock Australia

The Lockyer Hotel

Located in Forest Hill in the Lockyer Valley, The Lockyer Hotel combines quality local produce with the finest Queensland beef. With a strategy to enhance working relationships they engaged their suppliers to help develop their grill selection of MSA-graded meat cuts.

Best Red Meat Restaurant – Metropolitan Award – Sponsored by Meat & Livestock Australia

Tank Restaurant & Bar

Tank Restaurant & Bar, led by Executive Chef Alastair McLeod, is a new and innovative addition to the Brisbane dining scene. A myriad of cooking techniques are applied to lesser known cuts to introduce unique dishes based on local produce to customers. There is genuine integrity and passion for sustainability in the Tank business ethos, using the whole beast, sourcing local produce and working directly with producers.

Outstanding Partners in Red Meat Research & Development – Sponsored by the Queensland Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

Alastair Henderson and the Northern Pastoral Group

Cooperating seedstock herds and pastoral companies and implementing Breedplan and Meat Standards Australia has been a major part of the program coordinated by Alastair Henderson. His work has included DNA marker research and investigation of the relationships between carcass and beef quality attributes, and reproductive performance and adaption to environmental stressors. The contribution of cattle (and the equivalent financial commitment) to the research programs of the Beef CRC by the Northern Pastoral Group of Companies and individual breeders provided the resource base for  innovation at the production end of the supply chain.

Red Meat Industry Emerging Leader – Sponsored by Queensland Rural Industry Training Council

Elisha Seekamp

Elisha Seekamp lives and works on family owned cattle properties located in central west Queensland. She completed a Bachelor of Law degree at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane and was admitted as a legal practitioner in 2007 and has practiced as a lawyer on a part time basis for the past five years.  She was chosen as a Beef Australia 2009 Rabobank Young Ambassador and attended the International Livestock Congress in Denver on behalf of Beef Australia. She is also a director of the Future Farmers Network.

Innovation in Red Meat – Producer of the Year – Sponsored by AgForce

Philip and Adele Hughes

Banchory Station has been in the Hughes family since 1985.  Banchory Grazing supplies cattle to Rangeland Quality Meats which was formed in late 2010. Banchory Station is a 16,000 hectare breeding property with Brahman infused cows joined to Angus bulls; the predominately black, flat-backed calves are raised on grass until they are about 250 – 300kg weaners when they are transported to Dulacca Downs and Heatherlea for backgrounding on grass for about six months.