Setting the standard

Bridgitte and Colin Sinclair in their chiller.

01-03-2010 | Not Specified

Finding a competent home-kill processor can be a hit-and-miss affair. A relative newcomer to the industry has experienced astonishing growth by providing service of the highest order.

Four years ago Colin and Bridgitte Sinclair established Sinclair Farm Kill and Processing in Stratford, Taranaki.

Their business now employs six and annually processes more than 700 beef cattle. They have lost count of their yearly sheep and pig tally, but had processed 48 pigs the week before the interview for this story.

"After completing my apprenticeship and working in various butcher shops and supermarkets I eventually went farming," Colin says. "I farmed for 22 years until the farm that Bridgitte and I were share-milking on was sold.

"We moved to Stratford where I drove diggers, trucks and tractors until an injury prevented me from driving. I was sitting at home one rainy afternoon and dreamed up the idea of starting a home kill and processing operation."

Bridgitte and Colin knew there was a need for a quality operation. When farming, they had used some substandard home processors and they knew they could do better, especially with the final packaging.

"Colin sold his boat to pay for the biggest kitset shed we could afford; which we erected with the help of friends. Colin continued part-time driving and every time we managed to save some money we bought something for the business," Bridgitte says.

A retiring home-kill butcher sold his truck and trailer to the Sinclairs and also gave them their first half dozen clients. This meant they could pay for a newspaper advertisement which in turn brought in more work.

They now operate from premises that once housed Stratford's export eel factory. They bought the factory because it complied with the latest export codes and future-proofed their business against any increase in industry hygiene regulations.

The factory has spacious cutting rooms and chillers; and purpose-built smokers once used for the eels. The most striking feature is the sparkling white cleanliness, a far cry from many of the home-processing facilities I've seen.

"To begin with the factory was too large," Colin says. "Now it's too small. It's a good sign, but it all comes back to the fact that we
have a very good team working for us."

Central to the Sinclairs' success is their ethos of providing a high-quality service from the paddock to the client's freezer. They take pride in the number of clients who compliment them on their pleasant staff, hygiene standards, punctuality, paddock clean-up and free offal removal service.

"We always have hot soapy water on the kill truck to enable us to keep our gear and hands clean and hygienic; our clients like that aspect," Colin says. "They also like the speed in which we get on and off the property.

"Yesterday, for example, we had an animal processed and in the trailer within 20 minutes. It took us longer to travel to the farm than to complete the job. We weigh all animals at the farm to eliminate any controversy over weights."

Those high hygiene standards are apparent in the processing plant, too. The butchers wear white overalls, and clients are always pleasantly surprised when they first visit the modern, hygienic premises.

The kill-truck is always spotlessly clean; as is the trailer used to transport the carcases.

"We operate an ‘open-door' policy," Bridgitte says. "Any prospective customer is welcome to look through our premises; we have nothing to hide. You should be very wary of any processor who won't allow you to check their premise's hygiene standards."

Clear communication is an important aspect of a home processor-client relationship. The Sinclairs have been part of the farming industry and can identify with their rural clients.

Many home processors never see past the "traditional meat cuts" and won't offer their clients any options. The Sinclairs have encouraged their clients to expect higher standards.

"Giving people cutting options is one of the reasons why our business has grown so fast," Bridgitte says. "We explain that they aren't limited to the traditional cuts. We can even pack with supermarket-style foam trays if required."

"Colin has mostly worked in the supermarket butchery industry and is acutely aware of the need for professional presentation standards. You should be able to receive the same meat cuts and high standard of packaging as you would from any high-quality supermarket cabinet."

Clients are given a cutting list itemising the product options, and Colin and Bridgitte are only too happy to explain further options. They also retain their client's previous records in case they wish to change any of their prior preferences.

"We provide a ‘chill-and-kill' service for farmers who process their own meat," Colin says. "We accept home-killed carcases, but they must be processed to a high standard.

"We process a couple of hundred wild pigs per year. Again we try to educate the hunters because pigs need to be chilled as quickly as possible (within a couple of hours). We don't want them bringing in animals that are covered in dirt, stones and vegetation."

In 2009, the Sinclairs turned away a great deal of work from clients who contacted them too late in the year to get their animals processed in time for Christmas. If more clients had their animals processed well ahead of time (September/October) the additional animals could have been process­ed.

"Each year we've doubled in size and never dreamed we'd ever turn work away," Colin says. "We're unsure how much bigger we can get. We can process more animals if we spread the workload.

"We cover the entire Taranaki region and will soon put another kill-truck on the road. We're not here to make a quick buck; we're here for the long haul. Our name is above the door and we want that name to be synonymous with high-quality service."

Contact:

Sinclair Farm Kill and Processing

121 Cordelia Street;

Stratford.

Ph (06) 765-4460

Mob: 0274-629-282

• Before working as a freelance photojournalist Ross Nolly was a qualified butcher and managed supermarket butchery departments for about 13 years.

  Printable View