Australia's first Wagyu beef producer given Queen's Birthday honours

A South Australian businessman, largely credited for introducing Wagyu beef to the nation, is among those named an Officer of the Order of Australia.

The de Bruin Group aimed to create Wagyu beef that was the equivalent of Penfolds Grange Hermitage wine.

In 1988, Mayura Station, in Millicent, imported Australia's first ever black-haired Wagyu cattle from Japan.

Adrian de Bruin has since grown a herd of 29 to more than 6000 animals and supplies five-star restaurants across the world.

"What we've tried to do is get away from the commodity business," Mr de Bruin said.

"Those poor old farmers have been receiving the same price at the farm gate for the past 20 years.

"Mayura's nine-score [beef] would probably cost you, at Crown Casino, $1,200 per kilogram retail."

The Wagyu breed is now recognised and flaunted in restaurants across Australia but when the de Bruin family started out it was an expensive and unknown delicacy.

"My son went around and left bits of steak at fancy restaurants and mostly it was thrown out the door," Mr de Bruin said.

"We built a cellar door on our farm called 'The Tasting Room'.

"It was the only way we could do it … it's been fantastic for us to be able to promote our product."

Mayura Wagyu Beef is now exported to five-star restaurants in Singapore, Manila, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Mr de Bruin's original mission was to create the "Penfolds Grange Hermitage equivalent of beef".

He said he was frustrated by the plethora of businesses now promoting Wagyu cuts.

"You can buy Cabernet Sauvignon in a cask; it's still Cabernet Sauvignon," he said.

"Or you can pay $500 a bottle and be blown away.

"We've deliberately tried to promote our brand, rather than Wagyu, because a lot of Wagyu produced is not really Wagyu."

Source: ABC Rural, Danielle Grindlay, June 8th 2015