Summary of the episode:

In this episode of The Angus Table, host Scott Wright sits down with Tim Brittain from New Zealand for a wide-ranging conversation about global Angus leadership, brand building, and consumer focus.

Tim shares his remarkable journey from growing up in Auckland with no farming background to establishing Storth Oaks Angus, serving as Secretary General of the World Angus Secretariat for eight years, founding and chairing Angus Pure (New Zealand's first large-scale Angus beef brand), instigating Angus Pro and navigating the transition to Angus Australia registration, and becoming Reserve Grand Champion in BBQ competition.

They discuss why Angus is a brand that must be protected, the importance of never losing sight of the consumer, managing the World Angus Secretariat through COVID, and Sir Keith Holyoake's wisdom: "Live as though you'll die tomorrow, but farm as though you'll live forever."

So pull up a chair at the Angus Table for insights from one of the breed's most accomplished international leaders.

Key topics covered:

1. How Tim's journey began from Auckland city to agricultural university
2. The evolution of Storth Oaks Angus from 37 stud cows at a 1991 sale to the seed stock operation they run today
3. Why Tim's breeding philosophy emphasises maternal attributes, performance recording, genomics, and carcass quality
4. Tim’s agripolitical career progression from the deer industry to New Zealand Meat Board and ultimately Angus leadership
5. About the World Angus Secretariat and Tim’s experience serving as Secretary General
6. Tim’s role in building the Angus brand, including the origins of Angus Pure, New Zealand's first large-scale Angus beef brand
7. How the McDonald's Angus program created a paradigm shift in consumer awareness
8. The impact of Angus Pure, such as tangible premium for producers and catalyst for major meat companies
9. How Angus Pro formed and why the group chose to register with Angus Australia
10. The challenges facing the World Angus Secretariat with rapid European expansion
11. Why measuring business outcomes at events like Beef Australia matters for the industry
12. The importance of protecting Angus as a brand, not just a breed
13. How Tim became Reserve Grand Champion BBQ competitor with Storth Oaks Smokers
14. The power of customer focus in agriculture and why Tim believes more farmers need to remember this
15. What Sir Keith Holyoake taught about sustainability: "Farm as though you'll live forever"

Pull quotes:

"We are looking for strong maternal attributes, we have always put a lot of emphasis on performance… And to put a lot of emphasis on carcass quality because at the end of the day, without the consumer, there's no industry. That's a real driver for...