Goldie Bespoke Butchery: Female farmers open Macedon Ranges boning room

Two cattle producers who appreciate the value of a good cut of meat have opened Macedon Ranges’ newest boning room.

Two farmers behind a new butchery service in central Victoria say the business case for opening a boning room was clear cut.

Cattle producers Amber Bruce and Paola Crofts have teamed up to launch Goldie Bespoke Butchery, east of Lancefield.

“It was a case of see a need, fill a need,” Amber said, explaining reliable, high-quality meat processing services were in demand by local producers who sold meat directly to customers.

Amber and her husband, Callum, also run stud stock operation Springhill Park Miniature Galloways at Goldie.

Cattle producers Amber Bruce and Paola Crofts have opened their own boning room called Goldie Bespoke butchery. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Paola and her husband, Andrew Gray, run Tall Poppy Farm and Red Poppy Estate in the Macedon Ranges. They rear Dexter cattle and free-range chooks, and tend a vineyard on 30 hectares, following regenerative agriculture principles.

Paola had been selling grass-fed beef directly to consumers previously, but found it challenging to access abattoir and butchery services during Covid.

“We came up against some issues with access to the abattoir and boning rooms, and we had moved out of selling beef because it had become too difficult for us,” Paola said. “We wanted to get back, but knew that we couldn’t until we could secure access to a local abattoir and boning room.

“I looked at how we could set up our own boning room initially and it was just so cost prohibitive from our perspective, that it was difficult.”

So, when opportunity came knocking to open one in existing infrastructure with Amber, she jumped at the chance.

Carcasses can hang for up to 21 days in their salt-wall room. Picture: Zoe Phillips

Paola Crofts and Amber Bruce with dog Zeuas at their new on-farm boning room in the Macedon Ranges. Picture: Zoe Phillips

The pair have taken over operations of a PrimeSafe-accredited facility on the Bruce family’s property. It had been used by Amber’s father-in-law to dry age his own beef and lamb.

“He was heading towards retirement age, and had had enough,” Amber said. “He said if I was interested in taking it on, I could do so.”

The business caters for beef and lamb, and is able to hang up to 10 beef bodies at a time, plus lambs.

They offer two to three weeks of hanging time including a salt-wall room. A qualified butcher breaks down carcasses to customers’ specifications, vacuum seals, packs and labels for $3.90 a kilogram, carcass weight.

“We are set up for smaller boutique-style farmers,” Amber said. “And supporting the local food culture.”

Paola said they’d “like to see the business grow and do well in this area”.

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