AS expected, standards are high at Gordon Ramsay's Melbourne restaurant, Maze, in Southbank's Crown Casino complex.
So, when executive chef John Lawson described Gippsland's Enviromeat beef as "phenomenal", director Paul Crock was understandably chuffed.
Since sampling the brand's beef at the Melbourne Food and Wine Show two months ago, Mr Lawson has put three cuts of Enviromeat beef on the menu at Maze: fillet, scotch and an 850g sirloin on the bone.
"The initial taste I had was phenomenal; it brought Enviromeat to my attention as a natural product. I liked the story behind it, how it's naturally grown and looked after, and that is very important here," Mr Lawson said.
It was also important that Maze offers a variety of steaks, including grain and grass fed, he said.
"People are worrying a little more about the animal, how it was raised and the beef produced and people are more knowledgeable about food now."
Mr Lawson said customers were happy to compromise on texture for a natural product.
"If they know where it's come from, that it's grass fed, they are more understanding if it's a little more chewy," he said.
Not that Enviromeat beef is chewy; the brand is backed up by Meat Standards Australia eating quality program and is now selling upwards of 30 carcasses a week into restaurants, butchers and farmers' markets.
Mr Crock said he was thrilled more people were embracing grass-fed beef in high-end dining.
"We are a bone fide, certified, green brand. We complete the paddock-to-plate chain and want to promote the region," he said.
Enviromeat seeks 220-300kg carcass-weight cattle of any breed or sex and pays a premium for those cattle that grade above boning group four.
