We are now busily taking Christmas bookings for the processing of;
Beef
Lamb
Pork
Goat
Venison
Llama
Alpaca
Buffalo
The final date of slaughter to guarantee that your produce will be available by Christmas is December 13th.
If you are wishing to have smoked product (ham and bacon) available for Christmas, pigs must be slaughtered no later than Friday November 29th.
To avoid the disappointment of not getting to eat your home grown produce during the festive season, please ensure you make a booking by contacting our office on 03 5594 5222 or email [email protected]
Koallah Farm Abattoir is seeking a boning room leading hand to join its growing team.
Reporting to the Plant Manager you will play a lead role in the customised boning and packing of multiple species including, veal, lamb, pork, goat and others.
Applicants should have extensive boning room experience, particularly in small stock and be capable of working in a small team. The successful applicant will be highly motivated to provide outstanding customer service and have high-quality knife skills well as a deep understanding of boning room processes and standards.
An attractive remuneration package and flexible working conditions will be negotiated with the successful applicant.
Please apply via Seek.
Koallah Farm's newest division trading beef, veal, lamb, pork and a variety of specialised meat products is seeking a full-time meat trader to join its team.
Reporting to the Chief Executive you will be dealing with butchers and meat managers and you will be responsible for new business development and the servicing of those clients.
Applicants should be experienced in the meat industry and highly motivated to provide outstanding customer service and have sound computer and verbal communication skills as well as a deep understanding of the Australian meat market in general.
An attractive remuneration package and flexible working conditions will be negotiated with the successful applicant.
Applications via Seek.
Koallah Farm is currently seeking experienced Slaughterman, Boners, Slicers, Labourers and Meat Inspectors to join its team.
To be considered for a position you must be able to demonstrate:
Prior relevant experience in the meat industry
The right to work in Australia
The right candidates must also meet these requirements, but not limited to;
A strong health, safety and hygiene focus and the ability to ensure company guidelines are adhered to
Proven ability to work well in a team environment
Reliability in terms of attendance and punctuality
Reliable transport and current drivers license.
Strong work ethic with quality workmanship to match
Pay rates are based on Industry Award and will be reflective of your skills and experience.
If this sounds like an opportunity for you, please send your resume to [email protected], or call Koallah Farm on 03 5594 5222 to register your interest.
We are currently seeking a suitably qualified Meat Inspector with industry experience to work in our on-farm abattoir and meat processing facility at Koallah Farm.
Between 25 and 40 hours of work is available for the right applicant. Remuneration will be negotiated with the applicant depending on experience.
Responsibilities, not limited to;
Certificate 3 in Meat Processing (Meat Safety) or higher.
Competent in knife sharpening and maintaining sharp knife
Experience in working in the meat processing industry
Be able to work within a team or individual environment with reporting protocols
Always act in accordance with the Australian Standard
Perform all official duties as an Inspector in accordance with all legislative requirements
Perform all work in accordance with all safe working procedure and practices
Perform Ante Mortem inspection
Perform Post Morten inspection
Computer Skills (Microsoft Outlook, Excel & Word)
Valid Drivers Licence and own transport
Relationships
Reports to Senior Management
If this sounds like an opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you.
Please feel free to send a resume to [email protected], or just call Koallah Farm on 03 5594 5222 to register your interest.
Applications will remain open until the the position is filled.
We are currently seeking experienced slaughter floor workers to cater for increased demand and growth at our Koallah Farm abattoir near Camperdown.
Our fully accredited abattoir (Lic: L00133) operates Monday to Friday alongside our team of butchers and packers in our boning room.
Responsibilities, not limited to;
Slaughter and dress beef and lamb as per legislative requirements
Demonstrate unique knife skills and cutting techniques
Ensuring a clean, safe, and organized work environment
Complying with all health, sanitation, and legal regulations
Complying with all company policies and procedures
Skills/Requirements
Experience in processing beef and lamb
Works quickly and efficiently
Be energetic with a "can-do" attitude
Work well in a team environment
Be mature, honest, reliable and dedicated
Be well organised and show attention to detail
Be willing to provide employment recommendations
Relationships
Reports to Slaughter Floor Manager and Meat Inspector
If this sounds like an opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you.
Please feel free to send a resume to [email protected], or just call Koallah Farm on 03 5594 5222 to register your interest.
Applications will remain open until the the position is filled.
We are currently seeking suitably qualified Meat Inspector with industry experience to work in our on-farm abattoir and meat processing facility at Koallah Farm.
Between 25 and 40 hours of work is available for the right applicant. Remuneration will be negotiated with the applicant depending on experience.
Responsibilities, not limited to;
Certificate 3 in Meat Processing (Meat Safety) or higher.
Competent in knife sharpening and maintaining sharp knife
Experience in working in the meat processing industry
Be able to work within a team or individual environment with reporting protocols
Always act in accordance with the Australian Standard
Perform all official duties as an Inspector in accordance with all legislative requirements
Perform all work in accordance with all safe working procedure and practices
Perform Ante Mortem inspection
Perform Post Morten inspection
Computer Skills (Microsoft Outlook, Excel & Word)
Valid Drivers Licence and own transport
Relationships
Reports to Senior Management
If this sounds like an opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you.
Please feel free to send a resume to [email protected], or just call Koallah Farm on 03 5594 5222 to register your interest.
Applications will remain open until the the position is filled.
We are currently seeking a casual and experienced Meat Packer to work in our meat processing facility at Koallah Farm.
The successful candidate will work within our small, dynamic team and report to our Senior Butcher and Production Manager.
Responsibilities, not limited to;
Packing of beef, lamb, pork as per customer requirements
Ensuring that all meat is handled and stored correctly
Ensuring a clean, safe, and organized work environment
Complying with all health, sanitation, and legal regulations
Complying with all company policies and procedures
Requirements
Experience in the food industry would be highly regarded
Following client specification sheets with attention to detail
Be well organised, Works quickly and efficiently
Be energetic with a "can-do" attitude
Work well in a team environment and independently
Good hygienic practices
Be mature, honest, reliable and dedicated to the team
Be willing to provide employment recommendations
Available for day shifts starting 6:30am
Relationships
Reports to Senior Butcher and Production Manager
If this sounds like an opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you.
Please feel free to send a resume to [email protected], or call Koallah Farm on 03 5594 5222 to register your interest.
Applications will remain open until the the position is filled.
Koallah Farm’s boutique abattoir has become the state’s first licensed processor of alpacas and llamas. It has also added deer and buffalo to its service offering.
The new species add to Koallah Farm’s existing PrimeSafe licenses to process beef, lamb, pork and goat at the fully accredited on-farm abattoir near Camperdown.
Managing Director Steven Castle said he was pleased that the facility was continuing to diversify and fill more service gaps for Victorian farmers.
“We commissioned the site in 2014 with beef and lamb, then added pork and goat last year and now we’ve met the requirements for buffalo, deer, alpaca and llamas,” he said.
Andy Cowan and Ken Lang with the first Yarra Valley Game Meats venison processed at Koallah Farm
“The staged introduction of the additional licenses has been driven by farmers who, like us, wanted fairer access to markets and improved returns for the meat they produce.”
Mr Castle said Koallah Farm had fielded steady enquiries about deer, alpacas and buffalo processing over the past 18 months.
He said the decision to become licensed for the species meant farmers could now develop markets and retail their own products.
“Until now, alpaca growers right here in south-west Victoria had to truck their animals interstate for processing. Similarly, it was very difficult to have private buffalo and deer processed, boned and packed fresh for retail,” he said.
“Farmers work hard to breed and grow quality animals on their properties and we’re passionate about helping them maximise their returns by helping them access markets.”
Mr Castle said Koallah Farm’s integrated on-farm meat processing operation meant producers could drop their animals off and have them slaughtered, aged, butchered, vacuum packed, labeled, boxed and ready for retail.
“We’re already seeing pretty strong demand from venison producers and have started to work with a couple of alpaca and buffalo farmers who can see opportunities to add value to their operations through the sale of their own meat products,” he said.
Ken Lang from Chum Creek in the Yarra Ranges has already had two lots of deer processed at Koallah Farm.
Mr Lang operates Yarra Valley Game Meats and produces venison on his own property, in addition to buying animals from other nearby growers like Andy Cowan of Buxton.
“What Koallah Farm have done here has a lot of potential for the venison industry in Victoria,” Mr Lang said.
“Over the years abattoirs have either stopped processing venison…or made it difficult to get the animals done and back to market quickly enough.
“I supply restaurants, hotels and meat distribution companies and there is plenty of potential for growth now that we can be serviced here at Koallah Farm.
“I’m also very interested in marketing alpaca, llama and buffalo meat for other growers who can now be serviced here at Camperdown.”
Mr Cowan said the Victorian venison industry was a fraction of what it was 20 years ago.
“Back then there were over 50,000 deer processed annually, which is more than the total number of deer in Victoria now,” he said.
“Once word spreads that Koallah Farm is processing venison, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if numbers in deer farming rose again.
“The development of this abattoir will be a real boost for our industry.”
We're always pretty excited with the quality of our Koallah Farm beef, but we're extra excited this week with one of our newly bred lines reaching the processing weight. Traditionally, we've grown mostly Shorthorn Hereford Cross cattle at the farm, but in the past year we've begun crossing our Hereford Cross cows with Charolais bulls. Pictured are the first lot these 10 month-old Charolais Hereford Cross cattle ready for processing today.Our Simply Free Range moto is 'meat the way nature intended' and we mean every word of it. These beef cattle were bred naturally in their paddock, with their mothers covered by a bull. The mothers carried them in our paddocks at a ratio of one cow and one calf to three acres. In addition to pasture, the cattle receive hay and silage harvested from our properties. When calving time approaches, our cows are checked at 5.30am, midday, at 5pm and again at 10pm. If we need to render assistance with a calving we do, but in the vast majority of cases the calves are born naturally in their paddocks.The first 24 hours are very important for a calf, which needs a good feed of its mother's colostrum. Colostrum contains important antibodies which protect the calf from disease. While some farmers intervene in this process, we leave it to nature and the success rate is excellent.After about three weeks the calves will begin to eat grass from the paddocks and hay and silage when they want to. They remain with their mother and drink from her right through to processing. The cattle pictured here, for processing today, fed from their mothers until yesterday.Sometimes seasonal conditions can make it very difficult to grow beef cattle to the standard our customers deserve.
If necessary, we can now supplement their feed with a specially designed pellet that meets pasture-fed certification guidelines. These animals didn't require it and reached our target 420kg weight on their mother's milk, pasture and fodder alone.
These cattle were separated from their mothers late yesterday and travelled less than 2km to our on-farm boutique abattoir at Koallah Farm. They spent last night together in a large soft floor pen. Cattle that spend nights on concrete can become stressed and get quite sore hooves and legs which can impact meat tenderness.
They were handled respectfully and processed by our own staff in our accredited facility at 6am this morning. The carcasses will be aged for about 10 days before being butchered for online orders and our shops in Mt Waverley and Rosanna.
Incidentally, their mothers are already about seven months pregnant with their next calf. They now dry off naturally and have two months to put all their energy into the health of their new calf before it is born and the process starts again.
So that's what we mean when we talk about pasture fed, free range beef. To us it means no antibiotics, no added hormones and plenty of wide open space where nature can take its course.
We currently delivery throughout Victoria. Please provide your postcode and we can check if and when we will deliver to your area.
If your postcode is not listed please contact us to discuss when we can deliver.
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Difference
Humane farming values, no antibiotics or hormone treatment and pasture fed
No grain, no cheap farming short cuts
Our family values, tradition, passion, love for how we live and the animals we raise
Our family has always farmed sustainably – with minimalist intervention sanctioning the free-roaming and natural development of our magnificent animals.
Our family operates with heart, passion and a primal respect for the land and animals they rear, fighting for humanity in the world of animal agriculture. This is rigorously upheld by adhering to a free range, no-hormone-intervention policy, with all animals being grass-fed to ensure peace- of-mind and consumption.
Quality
Quality of life determines the quality of the taste
From paddock to plate best possible experience every step of the way
Farming the way nature intended
Our beef, lamb and pork are testament to the pasture-rich, open paddocks in which they are free to graze and develop naturally. Under this legacy, Castle Estate continues to rear and cultivate livestock with freshness and fairness in mind along each animal’s trajectory from paddock to plate, delivering only the finest quality cuts to meat-loving Australians.
Traceability
Follow your meat from paddock to plate
On-site Abattoir
Our fully accredited, on farm, boutique abattoir. This made us the only fully-integrated operation of our kind in Victoria, and we’re bloody proud of that.
It means our animals are grown the way nature intended. That means they aren’t transported vast distances, they’re processed naturally and butchered and packed by our own dedicated team, before being delivered directly to our loyal customers.
Discovery
Experience what real meat tastes like – The meaning of authentic free-range farming lies in the trajectory of the animal’s life. This means the animal is pasture-fed and grass-grazing. Our animals are outside in the open air, consuming fresh, verdant fields. Celebrated for their natural unique shapes, sizes and growth, each animal is farmed with humanity and a no-waste policy, for an ultimately superior taste on your plate.
In addition to the superior taste of free range meat and the improved conditions for free range animals, there is growing evidence of the health benefits of eating products from pastured animals. And we simply can’t argue with that.
Discover new cuts of meat to expand your cooking repertoire – eat the whole animal not just the popular cuts
For the zealous gastronome or experimental foodie, this presents a wonderful opportunity to become more creative in the kitchen than ever before. The Castle family encourages consumers to expand their cooking repertoire and experiment with new cuts of meat.
The traditional values of reducing waste have never been more relevant than now. When the Castle Estate (butcher and abattoir) prepares an animal as a source of food, they operate under the firm belief system that the whole animal must be utilised to minimise waste and avert frivolous farming.
Recipes
New products from the Providore
In addition to the superior taste of free-range meat, and the elevated conditions for free-range animals to roam, grow and graze on, there is surmounting evidence bolstering the health (and taste) benefits of eating products from pastured animals like those offered by Castle Estate.
When calving time approaches, our cows are checked at 5.30am, midday, at 5pm and again at 10pm. If we need to render assistance with a calving we do, but in the vast majority of cases the calves are born naturally in their paddocks.
The first 24 hours are very important for a calf, which needs a good feed of its mother's colostrum. Colostrum contains important antibodies which protect the calf from disease. While some farmers intervene in this process, we leave it to nature and the success rate is excellent.
After about three weeks the calves will begin to eat grass from the paddocks and hay and silage when they want to. They remain with their mother and drink from her right through to processing. The cattle pictured here, for processing today, fed from their mothers until yesterday.
Sometimes seasonal conditions can make it very difficult to grow beef cattle to the standard our customers deserve.
If necessary, we can now supplement their feed with a specially designed pellet that meets pasture-fed certification guidelines. These animals didn't require it and reached our target 420kg weight on their mother's milk, pasture and fodder alone.