We Take Our Time

Good meat is something that shouldn't be rushed...

We didn't set out to be different. We just kept farming the way the generations before did—because it works.

Sydney Royal 2025 Gold award certificate — Hunter Natural grass-fed lamb, Class 0001

Sydney Royal Find Food Winners

Gold for our grass fed lamb!


Our grass-fed lamb was awardedGold for Excellence in Class(Class 0001 Lamb) at the2025 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show— judged by the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW. Proof that paddock-raised, grass-fed and properly handled simply tastes better.

We Purchased Our Own Butcher Shop

In February 2014 we purchased Morpeth Butchery to process our Hunter Natural beef and lamb for the Farmers Markets. We also wanted to bring healthy, grass finished Hunter Natural beef and lamb to the people of the Lower Hunter, from our farm in the Upper Hunter. It's about as local as it gets.

We specialise in free range grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free Beef and Lamb.

Free range poultry and pork is sourced from other (preferably local) producers.

We stock a wide range of small goods and BBQ products.

We take pride in good old fashioned personal service.

Our Farm, Our Way

About our animals, how it works, and the family behind your meat.

About Our Animals

100% Grass-Fed Speckled Park Beef

That's it. Nothing else.

What Our Cattle Eat:

  • Native pasture grasses
  • White Box grassland species
  • Seasonal forages
  • Fresh water from Stewarts Brook

What They DON'T Get:

❌ No grain or feedlot finishing

❌ No growth hormones

❌ No routine antibiotics

❌ No animal by-products

❌ No synthetic supplements

The Breed: Speckled Park Cattle
We chose Speckled Park cattle for their superior meat quality, excellent marbling, and gentle temperament. This heritage breed thrives on grass alone and produces beef with exceptional flavour and tenderness.

Raised At:
"Bonavista" - Our family farm at Woolooma, via Scone NSW

  • 500+ acres of Hunter Valley pasture
  • Fifth generation family farming
  • Rotational grazing for soil health
  • Low-stress animal handling

Hanging & Processing:

  • Dry-aged for 14+ days for tenderness and flavour
  • Processed at our own Morpeth Butchery
  • Cut by hand to your specifications
  • Vacuum-sealed for freshness

The Grass-Fed Difference:
Grass-fed beef contains higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids, CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), vitamins A and E, and antioxidants compared to grain-fed beef. The flavour is deeper, more complex, and genuinely beefy—the way beef used to taste.

How It Works

From Farm to Your Freezer

Buying beef in bulk is simple, economical, and ensures you know exactly where your food comes from.

1. Choose Your Size

  • Whole Beef: 160-220kg
  • Half Beef: 80-110kg
  • Quarter Beef: 40-55kg

2. Tell Us How You Want It Cut
This is where it gets personal. You'll fill out a simple cutting form telling us your preferences for each cut:

  • Topside → Roast, Mince, or Schnitzel?
  • Rump → Steaks or Roast?
  • Chuck → Slow-cook roast or Mince?
  • Sausages → Thick or Thin?

Takes 2-3 minutes, as easy as clicking the image above the text of your selection before you add to cart.

3. We Select & Process

  • We hand-select your animal from our herd
  • Dry-aged for 14+ days for tenderness
  • Custom cut to your specifications at Morpeth Butchery
  • Vacuum-sealed and freezer-ready

4. Pick Up or Delivery

  • Collect from Morpeth Butchery (143 Swan Street, Morpeth)
  • Or delivery available in Scone, Muswellbrook, Morpeth & Newcastle areas

Timeline: Around 3 weeks from order to pickup

What You'll Get:
Not just steaks! You'll receive:

  • Premium cuts (scotch fillet, porterhouse, eye fillet, T-bone)
  • Everyday cuts (rump, sirloin, blade)
  • Roasting cuts (topside, silverside, rib roast)
  • Slow-cook cuts (chuck, brisket, shin, cheeks)
  • Mince (as much or as little as you want)
  • Specialty cuts (osso bucco, ribs, short ribs)
  • Bones for broth (if requested)

Pricing: Kilo pricing is based on hanging carcass weight (final weight may vary slightly and need to be adjusted from the estimate your desposit is based on).

Deposit Required to secure your order. Based upon an estimate and will be adjusted prior to final payment request.

Sustainability

Doing Better, One Step at a Time

Packaging Reality:
All beef is vacuum-sealed in food-grade plastic. We'd love to eliminate plastic entirely, but vacuum-sealing is currently the safest way to preserve meat quality and prevent freezer burn for long-term storage.

You Can Help:

  • Check if your council accepts soft plastics via REDcycle programs
  • Reuse clean bags for other freezer storage
  • Cardboard boxes are 100% recyclable

The Bigger Picture:
Buying local beef in bulk is inherently more sustainable than:

  • Multiple plastic-wrapped supermarket trips
  • Imported beef with huge food miles
  • Feedlot beef (higher emissions, more resources)

Use Every Part (Zero Waste Eating):

Bones:
Don't throw them away! Make nutrient-rich beef bone broth:

  • Roast bones at 200°C for 30 min
  • Simmer 24+ hours with vegetables
  • Freeze in portions
  • Gut-healing, delicious, traditional

Fat (Tallow):
Render beef fat for cooking:

  • Healthier than vegetable oils
  • Perfect for roasting vegetables
  • Traditional cooking method

Nose-to-Tail:
When you buy a whole or half animal, you're using EVERY cut - not just premium steaks. That's the ultimate sustainability: no waste, full respect for the animal.

On-Farm Sustainability:

  • Rotational grazing sequesters carbon in soil
  • Natural fertilizers (worm castings - zero synthetic chemicals)
  • Water stewardship protects Stewarts Brook
  • Native grassland preservation supports biodiversity
  • Local processing - Farm to Morpeth = 100km (not 1000s)

Carbon Impact:
Regenerative grazing can make beef production carbon-neutral or even carbon-negative by building soil carbon faster than cattle emit methane. We're part of that solution.

We're Not Perfect, But We're Trying:
We're actively researching:

  • Compostable vacuum-seal alternatives
  • Further reducing packaging waste
  • Constantly improving our regenerative practices

Sustainability is a journey. We're committed to continuous improvement while maintaining food safety and quality.

Why Grass-Fed?

This is Beef the Way It Should Be

100% Grass-Fed. No Shortcuts.

Our Speckled Park cattle spend their entire lives on pasture at "Bonavista," our family farm near Scone. They eat what cattle are meant to eat: grass, native pasture, and nothing else.

What They DON'T Get:

❌ No grain or feedlot finishing

❌ No growth hormones

❌ No routine antibiotics

❌ No animal by-products

Why It Tastes Different:
Grass-fed beef has a deeper, more complex flavour—it's genuinely beefy. Because we dry-age for 14+ days, it's tender and rich. This is what beef tasted like before industrial farming.

Why It's Better for You:

  • 2-5x more Omega-3 fatty acids (heart-healthy)
  • Higher CLA (conjugated linoleic acid - supports immunity)
  • More Vitamins A & E from beta-carotene in grass
  • Leaner - lower total fat, fewer calories
  • Higher in B vitamins, iron, zinc

Cooking Grass-Fed Beef:
Because it's leaner, grass-fed beef cooks 30% faster than grain-fed.

  • Use medium heat (not high)
  • Don't overcook - medium-rare to medium is ideal
  • Let it rest 5-10 minutes after cooking
  • Salt and pepper is all you need - let the meat shine

Why Speckled Park Cattle?
We chose this heritage breed for its:

  • Superior marbling and tenderness
  • Excellent grass-finishing ability
  • Calm, easy temperament (low-stress = better meat)
  • Smaller frame size (perfect for pasture systems)
Meet the Farmers

Five Generations at Bonavista

We're David and Maryanne Carter, and we've been farming "Bonavista" near Scone for five generations. This land has raised our family, and now it's raising your dinner.

Where Your Beef Comes From:

  • 500+ acres of Hunter Valley pasture
  • Stewarts Brook runs through the property
  • White Box grasslands - native ecosystem
  • Foothills of the Barrington Tops

How We Farm: We practice regenerative grazing - working with nature, not against it:

  • Rotational grazing mimics wild herd movement
  • Builds soil health instead of depleting it
  • Natural fertilizers (we run our own worm farm!)
  • No synthetic chemicals
  • Low-stress handling using proven stock handling principles

Why It Matters: Healthy soil → Healthy grass → Healthy cattle → Healthy you

Our cattle live as nature intended: roaming paddocks, grazing, resting, chewing their cud. No stress, no confinement, no feedlots.

From Farm to Butchery: In 2014, we bought Morpeth Butchery so we could process our own animals and ensure quality from paddock to plate.

As Featured In:

  • The Land (NSW)
  • Newcastle Herald
  • Your Food Collective (featured producer)
  • Newcastle City Farmers Market (weekly vendor since 2010)

Our Promise: We're raising beef the way our great-grandparents did because some things shouldn't change. We're not just raising cattle - we're building soil, preserving native grasslands, and leaving this land better for the next generation.

Frequently Asked Questions

About the farm, our practices and our ordering process.

How long does it take to get my order?

We ask for a minimum of four weeks from order to pickup or delivery — we sell out quickly and plan well ahead. That time lets us select the right animal, process it properly, and cut and pack everything to your specifications.

Can I customize how my meat is cut?

Absolutely! When you place your order, you'll fill out a cutting sheet online where you choose how you want each cut processed. For example:

  • Topside → Roast, mince, or schnitzel?
  • Shanks → Whole or osso bucco style?
  • Sausages → Thick or thin?

We'll guide you through every option—it takes about 2-3 minutes.

Can I split an order with a friend or family member?

Yes! Many customers split a whole beef or lamb between two households. Just let us know when ordering and we'll pack everything in packs of 2 to make it easy for you to divide. We will only deliver to one address per order.

Where do you deliver?

We offer delivery to Scone, Muswellbrook, Morpeth, and Newcastle areas right now. We are gradually offering delivery to the rest of NSW - sign up to our newsletters and follow our social media to be the first to know. Alternatively, drop us a line inour contact form, we want to know where our customers are! You can also pick up from Morpeth Butchery at 143 Swan Street, Morpeth 2321.

How much freezer space do I need?

Quick answer: our Whole-Animal Planner estimates the freezer space for a quarter, half or whole in seconds. For a detailed guide:

Here's a practical guide based on typical Australian freezer sizes:

BEEF:

  • Quarter beef (45-55kg): Approximately 80-100 litres of freezer space

    Fits in: A medium chest freezer or large upright freezer section
    Real-world example: Takes up about 2 shopping bags worth of space

  • Half beef (90-110kg): Approximately 160-200 litres of freezer space

    Fits in: A 200-250L chest freezer (half to two-thirds full)
    Real-world example: Fills a standard chest freezer halfway

  • Whole beef (180-220kg): Approximately 320-400 litres of freezer space

    Fits in: A 400-500L+ chest freezer
    Real-world example: Requires a dedicated large chest freezer

LAMB:

  • Half lamb (9-11kg): Approximately 30-40 litres of freezer space

    Fits in: Any standard fridge-freezer combo easily
    Real-world example: Takes up one freezer drawer or shelf

  • Whole lamb (18-22kg): Approximately 60-80 litres of freezer space

    Fits in: Most standard upright or chest freezers comfortably
    Real-world example: About the size of a large esky/cooler

Quick Reference Guide:

If you have a 100-litre chest freezer, you can comfortably fit a quarter beef or 2-3 whole lambs.

A 200-litre chest freezer will hold a half beef or 5-6 whole lambs with room to spare.

For a 300-litre or larger chest freezer, you can store a whole beef or more than 10 whole lambs.

Most standard fridge-freezer combinations (80-120 litres) can fit 1-2 whole lambs or a quarter beef, though it will be a tight fit.

Pro Tips:

  • Vacuum-sealed meat packs efficiently and stacks well
  • We pack in portion sizes that make it easy to organize
  • Label and date packages so you can rotate stock
  • Keep a freezer inventory list on the door so you know what you have
What size freezer should I buy if I don't have one?

For most families ordering bulk meat regularly, we recommend:

  • 200-250L chest freezer for half beef or multiple lambs
  • 400L+ chest freezer if planning to buy whole beef annually

Chest freezers are more energy-efficient than uprights and maintain temperature better when opened frequently.

Not sure which size to order in the first place? Our Whole-Animal Planner suggests a size and the freezer space you'll need.

How is the meat packaged?

All meat is vacuum-sealed in freezer-safe bags and clearly labeled with the cut name and approximate weight. Packages are flat and stackable, which makes freezer organization much easier than butcher paper wrapping.

How long will frozen meat last?

Properly vacuum-sealed and frozen at -18°C or below, meat will maintain quality for:

  • 12-18 months for beef
  • 9-12 months for lamb

We recommend using a permanent marker to date your packages and rotating stock (first in, first out).

Do I need to do anything when I get it home?

Just put it straight in your freezer! Everything is already cut, wrapped, labeled, and ready to store. No additional processing needed.

Are your cattle and sheep really grass-fed their entire lives?

Yes. Our cattle (Speckled Park) and sheep (Dorper) spend their entire lives on pasture. They eat grass, native vegetation, and nothing else—no grain, no feedlot finishing.

Do you use hormones or growth promotants?

No. We never use growth hormones or growth promotants.

Do you use antibiotics?

We do not use routine antibiotics. If an animal becomes sick and requires treatment for its welfare, we would treat it, but those animals would not enter our meat supply until well after withdrawal periods. Our focus is on preventing illness through good farming practices rather than treating it.

What do your animals actually eat?

Our cattle and sheep graze on:

  • Native White Box grassland species
  • Improved pasture (where applicable)
  • Diverse seasonal forages
  • Fresh water from Stewarts Brook

They do NOT eat:

  • Grain or concentrates
  • Animal by-products
  • Synthetic supplements
How do you manage parasites without routine medications?

We use strategic rotational grazing, which naturally breaks parasite cycles. Dorper sheep are also naturally more parasite-resistant than wool breeds. We monitor animal health closely and only intervene when necessary.

What is regenerative farming?

Regenerative farming goes beyond "sustainable"—it actually improves the land over time. We use rotational grazing to:

  • Build soil organic matter and carbon
  • Increase native grassland diversity
  • Improve water retention
  • Support wildlife and beneficial insects
  • Eliminate need for synthetic fertilizers

Our cattle and sheep move across paddocks seasonally, mimicking natural herd patterns.

Why does grass-fed meat taste different?

Grass-fed beef and lamb have a deeper, more complex flavour because the animals eat diverse pasture plants. This also means that it changes a little, seasonally. It's less fatty than grain-fed meat, so the actual meat flavor is more prominent. Many people describe it as "how meat used to taste."

Is grass-fed meat tougher?

Not if cooked properly! Because it's leaner, grass-fed meat cooks faster. The key is:

  • Don't overcook (medium-rare to medium is ideal for steaks)
  • Use lower temperatures
  • Let it rest after cooking

For tough cuts like shanks, chuck, or shoulder—low and slow cooking makes them incredibly tender.

How does your pricing work?

Simple — one flat price per quarter, half or whole beast. The price shown on the beef or lamb page is exactly what you pay: no per-kilo maths, no deposit, and no surprise final invoice. Not sure which size suits you? Try our Whole-Animal Planner.

Will the weight vary between animals?

Every animal is a little different, so the exact weight varies slightly from beast to beast — but your price doesn't. You pay one flat price whatever the animal weighs, so there are never any surprises.

Nose to Tail Recipes

How to make cuts of meat you've never cooked before turn out incredible...

Located in the Hunter Valley, NSW

We work directly with our own butcher shop in Morpeth, in the city of Maitland in the Hunter Region.

  • Bonavista Farm

    Woolooma, Via Scone NSW 2337
    M: 0409 009 489

  • Morpeth Butchery

    143 Swan St, Morpeth NSW 2321
    (02) 4933 7541

    Hours:
    Monday - Friday: 7am-5pm
    Saturday : 7am - 1pm