Slow-raised Christmas chooks go off like cluckwork

More Aussies want ethically produced food this Christmas.

Kim and Bryan Kiss with one of their chooks at their property, Meramie, in Wellington, NSW. Picture: Nicole McGuire

Kim and Bryan Kiss’s chickens feed and forage on their 1500ha property from sunrise until mid-morning, when they settle down for a sleep through the middle of the day.

They do what chickens are meant to do: grow slowly, eat whole grains and natural pasture, and exercise for hours.

It makes the texture of the meat firmer and more flavoursome with rich fat, making the birds in hot demand for Christmas tables this year.

The husband-and-wife duo, who work on their Wellington farm located in the central west of NSW called Grassland Poultry, sell their increasingly popular Sommerlad chickens to everyday punters who are more interested in learning about where their meat comes from than ever before.

“Before Covid, we sold a lot into restaurants. When we first had the big crash we lost a lot of our restaurant trade,” Ms Kiss said.

“But our retail side of it picked up because people were more interested in their food chain and clean food, and knowing where their food came from.

“We really didn't have a dip in our supply of having to place birds. If we had more birds on the ground, we would have sold more.”

Of the Kisses’ chooks, 60 jumbo birds (about the size of a turkey) and 150 regular birds (about two kilos) will be sold through Feather and Bone, a Sydney-based butcher and company that source pasture-raised animals for business and individuals, for Christmas meals.

Feather and Bone co-owner Laura Dalrymple said not only has there been significant interest in the Kiss chickens (almost all of which have been sold for the holidays), but other ethical meat products too.

In fact, 900 orders will be delivered in the four days before Christmas.

“As far as the orders go there are lots of hams, lots of turkeys and porchetta. Lots of celebratory cuts that people can share in together, Ms Dalrymple said.

“People very happily purchase (the Kisses’ chickens) as a special treat and as an option to turkey.”

Ms Dalrymple said when people become more interested in and consume meat that comes from regenerative systems, they discover the flavour and quality are drastically better than mass-farmed animals.

“Our whole thing is … people need to empower themselves with knowledge and make really conscious decisions about what production system they‘re supporting,” she said.

“Our business is set up to say there are people out there who are growing food and producing food in a very straightforward way and in ways which prioritise ecosystem health.”

Sally Gosper, general manager of Two Providores, another ethical product supplier based in Sydney, said her business had been inundated by people who want to support Australian produce this Christmas and those who wanted something special.

“Luxury products have undergone a real surge in demand. Things like our N25 Caviar, which is used by a lot of Michelin-star chefs around the world and by a number of Sydney chefs,” Ms Gosper said.

“We have sold more truffles this year than we’ve ever sold before.

“They’re the sort of additions to meals that people are feeling … they seem to have plenty of money to spend and they want to spend it on luxury items.”

One thing Ms Kiss, Ms Dalrymple and Ms Gosper agree on – simple life, excellent produce.

“It‘s just letting nature do its own thing. This is not rocket science,” Ms Kiss said.