Beyond the Marbling

Charlie Perry of Trent Bridge Wagyu said being a big fat people pleaser and not being able to make everyone happy resulted in their family holding the largest public offering of Wagyu bulls anywhere in the world. With record averages and 100% clearances, Lyndsey took the chance to catch up with Charlie and find out what makes Trent Bridge so successful. Charlie pin points their success largely to his family and the relationships they have built over many years. As an industry Charlie believes our biggest headwind will come by being able to manage massive fluctuations in supply, to stabilise the industry for all.

Lifelong entrepreneur Dave Dreiling of Booth Creek Wagyu, Manhattan (KA) entered the Wagyu beef industry four years ago. Initially starting out in apparel, gyms, and restaurants, self-taught Dreiling's business acumen – and the sale of a family herd – led to the creation of his vertically integrated Wagyu operation. He has now expanded to eight hundred Fullblood Wagyu cows and Booth Creek Wagyu spans breeding, feeding, and processing, emphasising high-end genetics and specialised feeding techniques. The operation includes the Wagyu Feeders feedlot and state inspected slaughterhouse Meatworks of Kansas, ensuring control over every production stage from genetics to retail, including a meat grading grid of their own design.

Dr Alex Ball has significantly contributed to the Australian red meat industry for over 25 years, working with various organizations like Meat and Livestock Australia, Sheep CRC, and more. Dr Ball shares his valuable insights on the key breed characteristics of Wagyu including what makes it tastes so good, meat grading systems around the world and what they mean for consumers and producers alike, as well as his time and efforts spent as Chief Steward of the AWA Wagyu Branded Beef Competition – a competition renowned for its scientific rigour in judging the world’s best Wagyu. 

This first episode of Beyond the Marbling, a new podcast from the Australian Wagyu Association, explores the history, evolution, and future of Wagyu cattle in Australia with insights from AWA President Laird Morgan and its CEO Dr. Matt McDonagh.

 For hundreds of years, Wagyu cattle were bred exclusively in Japan.  Then, in the early 90s, genetics were made available to the rest of the world.  In Beyond the Marbling, we explore the future of the breed through the innovators and the thought leaders shaping its future.