BRITISH WAGYU MOMENTUM BUILDS AT 250-STRONG CONFERENCE

Warrendale Wagyu Conference 17-18 May 2023, Telford, Shrops
Held in partnership with British Wagyu Association & Wyndford Wagyu
High-profile retailer, processor and farmer presence

Excellent turnout for the two-day conference held 17-18 May in Telford

250 people attended a two-day conference in and around Telford, Shropshire 17-18 May as momentum for British Wagyu beef continues to build. Welcoming retailers, processors and a strong line-up of UK and international speakers as well as both current and prospective farmer partners, the event was staged by the East-Yorkshire family farming business, Warrendale Wagyu, who run a fully integrated Wagyu beef supply chain.

Warrendale Wagyu Founder, Jim Bloom, opens the conference

After a Wagyu-themed lunch provided by Dovecote Park’s New Product Development team, Day One comprised four conference sessions.

Setting the scene, Warrendale MD, Tom Richardson, went through their story so far before explaining where the business was going as Warrendale Wagyu moves towards 800 farmers producing up to 1,000 cattle per week.

Irene Breider & Neil Wharton from Genus then presented the results of the data sets they had collected for both maternal and terminal traits – these included calving surveys, bull proofs and carcase figures incorporating Meat Image Japan (MIJ) carcase camera technology.

Nick Rose, Buying Director for Aldi UK, then updated the audience on the exciting journey to date, shared their successes and accolades, before turning to how they will continue to grow and deliver Aldi’s long-term ambitions with Warrendale.

Session Two saw Matt McDonagh, CEO of the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA), bring delegates up-to-speed with Wagyu developments worldwide before exploring future opportunities for the UK to enhance the value of Wagyu. At its heart is the analysis of 14 key Wagyu production traits across 250,000 animals within a global evaluation.

Angela Tant from Red Tractor then explained the numbers behind the Red Tractor logo and why so many consumers recognise and trust this flagship brand of British food and farming.

In the third session, Wyndford Wagyu’s Commercial Director, Jess Edwards, gave delegates an insight into the growth of their 400-head Fullblood Wyndford herd which was being developed in pursuit of elite herd status with lasting connections in the Wagyu world.

An excellent Q&A session rounded of the formal programme. This was chaired by BWA Director, Chris Dickinson, with farmer and processor representatives comprising: Laurie Ibbotson (Commercial Director, Dovecote Park); Andrew Ward (Dairy - Littleton Farm, Dumfries & Galloway); Eddie Rixon (Grower - Lopemede Farm, Oxon) and Paul Metcalfe (Finisher - Gillingwood Hall, N Yorks).

Rounding off the first day was a Drinks Reception sponsored by Oxbury Bank followed by a Gala Dinner with a main course of Wagyu tomahawk steaks provided by Aldi with wine sponsored jointly by Caisley and Genus.

There followed the presentation of the inaugural British Wagyu Ambassador Award to the late Mike Tucker, founding Chairman of the BWA who passed away in 2018, and this was made by Michael Carpenter of Kelvin Cave Ltd to Mike’s son Andrew.

L-R Richard Saunders, Georgie Tucker, Andrew Tucker, Michael Carpenter

After-dinner speaker was former England rugby international Simon Shaw MBE who talked about his sporting career dovetailing with his experiences in the beef industry and restaurant trade.

The evening’s Charity Raffle and Silent Auction raised a combined £8,219 to jointly benefit the Farming Community Network (FCN) and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (Motor Neurone Disease).

Making use of the social media backdrop!

Special commemorative Warrendale Wagyu gin

Day Two was spent at nearby Wyndford Wagyu with visitors able to experience first-hand the passion for producing top quality cattle, semen and embryos at this Fullblood herd with a sharp focus on accurate performance data collection and genomics.

The event welcomed guests from Ireland, Hong Kong, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland and Australia

Addressing the conference, BWA Company Secretary, Richard Saunders said: “In the space of just a few short years, the British Wagyu industry has grown as we forge partnerships with some truly outstanding and pioneering organisations. Our future growth plans reflect the ambition of working with these world-leading partners to not only deliver a consistently great product to the consumer but also build trust, grow the British Wagyu brand and importantly earn a premium for everyone in the supply chain. Ultimately, it’s all about the product and this is what gives all of us here the confidence to invest in the bright future that is British Wagyu Beef.”

Grateful thanks are extended to all the team at Warrendale Wagyu, Wyndford Wagyu and to all industry partners, sponsors and farmer partners for making the event such a success. Please click HERE for conference programme.