‘You’ll be hooked forever’: Cosi’s wild solution for shoppers hungry for a bargain
Media personality Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello says he has the answer for South Australians struggling to put food on the table during the cost-of-living crisis.
SA News
Don't miss out on the headlines from SA News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Media personality Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello says “out-of-control” goat numbers in the state’s Outback are the key to helping struggling South Australians put food on the table during the cost-of-living crisis.
Costello is urging people to “give goat a go” and try discounted goat meat, as the wild animal runs rampant in the Flinders Ranges, crippling native vegetation and creating oversupply issues.
The South Aussie with Cosi host has teamed up with SA farmers to offer 5000 whole rangeland goats for sale to the public for just $99 each. They will be available for pick-up from three metropolitan butcher shops around Adelaide.
“People are struggling to buy their groceries at the moment … so I thought what if we bought the goats from Outback Australia and gave them to the people that can’t afford to buy red meat? That’s how this idea came about,” said Costello.
Red meat is among the most shoplifted items from supermarkets, with retail security business Auror recording more than 67,000 incidents of meat theft in 2023. Pork was the most popular item stolen, followed by lamb and beef.
Costello said the “incredible deal” would also grow domestic demand for the animal.
“This is the cheapest price you’ll find anywhere for a whole goat cut up. It’s crazy,” he said.
“Goat meat is a really good meat that is one of the most consumed around the world.
“This will increase the domestic market for goat meat, and create more jobs for South Australias. So what we’re saying to people is: ‘Give goat a go’.”
Costello has joined forces with a group of SA farmers to capture thousands of goats from Blinman, a tiny town 425 kilometres north of Adelaide.
The animals be taken to a goat depot with only the best selected to be transferred to an abattoir in Two Wells.
Family-owned butchers in Gepps Cross, Campbelltown and Woodside will prepare the animals, with each $99 goat providing various cuts such as back legs, chops, two forequarters, shanks plus a bag of offcuts for soups or pets.
“It’s phenomenal, I reckon it’s a lot like lamb,” said Costello of goat meat.
“The key is you’ve got to cook it low and slow. You’ll be hooked forever. If you’ve ever considered trying goat, now is the time to do it.”
So far, about 1500 of the 5000 goats have been pre-ordered and Costello expects the rest will be snapped up within days.
The popular TV and radio presenter will showcase the state’s goat industry in a special South Aussie with Cosi episode on Channel 7 on Sunday night at 5.30pm.
Costello said the meat’s domestic price per kilogram had fallen from about $4.50 to less than a dollar in recent years due to the explosion in numbers. This made it unviable for farmers to muster the livestock, allowing the species to breed in record numbers.
“I’ve been going to the Flinders for 45 years and I’ve never seen that many goats … they just eat everything and they are decimating the region,” he said.
“This idea solves a lot of problems. We take goats out of the Flinders and the Outback. We feed South Australian families at a price that can’t be offered anywhere else in the country, and we build the domestic goat industry. It’s going to be huge.”
To buy your goat: shop.southaussiewithcosi.com.au
More Coverage
Originally published as ‘You’ll be hooked forever’: Cosi’s wild solution for shoppers hungry for a bargain
Busy expressway clears following two vehicle crash
A two-vehicle crash caused traffic chaos on the southern expressway, but has since cleared.
‘Manifest a home’: Mother nearing eviction told to find tent for sick boy
A mother and her toddler on life support have only weeks to secure a Housing Trust home or end up on the street – and have received some unusual advice from a public servant.