| 3 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Carve Meat Co T T Richard Loader Meat retailer carves out rewarding niche Craig and Kate Luxton - caring about their staff, suppliers and customers. When Kate Luxton, who with her husband Craig owns Auckland based high-quality meat business-to-business retailer Carve Meat Co, received an email from the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) inviting participation in an anonymous staff survey she saw it as a golden opportunity to gain honest feedback from the team. “We thought we might have got more critical feedback from the survey, but we were pleasantly surprised in the results,” says Kate. “One of the things that came out was that the staff felt part of a family and appreciated. So, it was about doing more of the stuff that makes people feel valued, and a lot of that is around communication.” Following the survey, Carve Meat Co. was invited to enter EMA’s Best Places to Work awards, and while not a finalist, Kate says huge benefits were gained from going through the process. “You don’t often get the luxury of reflecting on what you’ve achieved or what you’re doing in your business — you’re just doing it. Going through an awards process made me think about what we do well, and other areas that potentially might be worth considering — such as more training or other benefits we could offer as part of a package to keep morale and retain staff.” Carve Meat Co. had already put in place a Wellness Assessment that staff can elect to participate in each Wednesday that gives them the chance to do Yoga, Stretch, Massage, Breathwork, Fitness or Meditation. There is also an offer of gym membership. “We have a team of eleven staff, plus Craig and me, and so far three have taken up the gym membership offer.” Reflecting on what has been at the heart of company’s success Kate says it is about caring about staff, suppliers and customers, and being respectful. “We have a great product but without those other things it is meaningless. People deal with us because we try to make it easy as possible. There are ways we can keep on improving on that.” Founded by Kate and Craig, the company’s roots go back to 1997, with an organic growth path that has resulted in the distribution of a wide range of premium products including venison, lamb, pork, beef and wagyu beef, and veal — quality premium brands primarily sourced within New Zealand. There is also an in-house brand called Mahy Farms which offers hams, streaky bacon, loin bacon, shoulder bacon, smoked pork sausages, chorizo, black pudding and free-range chicken. The products are sold to the hospitality sector, including hotels, cafes, restaurants, and caterers. Based in the Wairau Valley, Carve Meat Co has four chiller trucks on the road distributing within Auckland CBD, suburban Auckland and North Shore. A third-party distributer is used for Northland, Waiheke Island, Bay of Plenty and Gisborne. “Most of our out-of-town clients have been Auckland chefs and they want the same product in their new restaurant. The quality of the meat starts with what the farmer does, genetics, what the animal is fed and how the animal is processed — that all contributes to the eating experience.” Proudly associated with Carve Meat Co. www.petertimbsmeats.co.nz Proud supporter & supplier of Carve Meat Co We specialise in quality Ham, Bacon & Smallgoods Download our app today!
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