S1 Ep8: Lucy MacDonald, Middlehurst Delivered
Merino lamb raised in the Marlborough high country and delivered direct to your door, Middlehurst Delivered is a family business with a focus on sustainability.
Middlehurst Station owners Willie and Susan Macdonald have created a diverse business at Middlehurst, including a lodge, that has allowed opportunities for all four of their children to be involved, creating a sustainable, inter-generational business.
The couple have long had a dream to offer their lamb direct to consumers, and now their daughters Lucy and Sophie have taken the idea and run with it.
The result is Middlehurst Delivered, 100% Merino lamb direct from the station to the consumer. They process the lambs and dispatch the meat to consumers around the country through their online store, as well as supplying a select few restaurants. Half and whole lamb box options, as well as individual cuts, are available for purchase.
Lambs born at Middlehurst, located up the Awatere Valley, come down to the finishing farm at Cheviot in North Canterbury. “The seasons can be very harsh up at Middlehurst, typically long hot and dry summers and then cold, miserable winters. The grass growing conditions at Cheviot really help us finish all our own stock,” Lucy Macdonald explains.
Brother Henry, who manages the finishing farm at Cheviot, is a vital cog in the operation and hand-picks the lambs for Middlehurst Delivered and delivers them to Harris Meats, a small abattoir just 10 kilometres down the road.
Once processed and vacuum packed, the meat is delivered back to the farm in Cheviot, where they have a certified chiller. It is weighed, labelled and dispatched to the customer.
“We love having that control and we know exactly how it will look when it reaches the customer. We do take a lot of care and responsibility for that.”
Lucy’s role involves the day-to-day running of the business, including dispatch, which she loves. She always knew she wanted to be part of the farm, but not practically farming. When the country first went into lockdown, the sisters got talking and the timing seemed right to launch Middlehurst Delivered.
“We thought let’s just do it, so naively we just did it. We had a lot of time to think and family chats, and we just had to start somewhere, so we started with the half and whole boxes of lamb.”
Approaching Harris Meats and having them agree to process the lamb was a huge step. “We are really thankful to them. We have a great relationship with them and it just makes the business work really well that it’s so close, it’s stress-free and the animals are happier.”
The tourist lodge at Middlehurst is another important part of the business, as any surplus cuts are able to be sent up there to be used in the restaurant. The chef at the lodge has also been instrumental in helping develop recipes using the lamb.
“She is amazing, makes the most delicious dishes with lamb and is really willing to help us with recipe development. Some of our customers actually go to Middlehurst, they see where the lamb has been raised, try it and then can purchase it online, and they just love that.”
Educating consumers and showing them what can be done with lamb is equally important. “A lot of people have had an experience with lamb where they haven’t enjoyed it or it hasn’t been cooked correctly. We have a recipes page and also tips and tricks we have learned, like the right cooking temperatures, that make the whole experience more enjoyable.”
Middlehurst Delivered recently picked up six golds at the New Zealand Outstanding Food Producers Awards, a great confidence boost to validate the quality of the Middlehurst lamb.
Lucy and Sophie are constantly looking at how to grow the business, researching and looking at what is working, and what’s not, and where they can add value. Lucy says this is a work in progress, and they’re in a growth phase.
“We’ve got so much to do in our marketing space and it’s about creating that brand story, that is Middlehurst Station and the lodge as well, so the customer gets the sense of how special and unique our business is.”
Show notes
Website: www.middlehurstdelivered.co.nz
Facebook: @MiddlehurstDelivered
Instagram: @middlehurstdelivered
