Bristol Farms Spotlights Aussie Premium Beef

ROSEANNE HARPER

CARSON, Calif. — Bristol Farms introduced its customers to a new line of culinary sauces paired with its premium Wagyu beef in a series of demos earlier this month.

Kebabs and quesadillas as well as sandwiches were offered up to give customers a taste of Greg Norman Signature Wagyu beef and chef Vic Cherikoff's Down-Under culinary sauces.

The 14-unit, upscale supermarket chain, a wholly owned subsidiary of Supervalu, teamed up with the duo of Australian brands to celebrate the send-off of the sauces, featuring flavors indigenous to Australia, and to spotlight its line of Wagyu beef.

The two Australian companies joined forces with Los Angeles-based Aussie caterer Kate Paul of FoodInk to present some creative recipes using the beef and such sauces as Down-Under Kakadu Wildfire Pepper Sauce.

The demos, which ran through the afternoon at three Bristol Farms stores, April 9-11, stirred up a lot of interest, officials said.

“We were extremely pleased at our customers' response to the Vic Cherikoff DownUnder sauces and the Greg Norman Signature Wagyu,” said Mike McMahon, Bristol Farms food buyer.

“Vic Cherikoff's unique Australian ingredients and gourmet taste, along with Greg Norman Australian Prime — the quality is right in line with ours here at Bristol Farms.”

Bristol Farms, known for its top-of-the-line products, is one of a few supermarket retailers in the country that provide, in addition to Wagyu, USDA Prime cuts of beef, as well as beef raised without growth hormones or additives. The chain also prides itself on meticulously trimming all its beef.

Both the Greg Norman Wagyu beef and the new line of sauces are offered at all Bristol Farms stores. The beef line debuted about a year ago at Bristol Farms' stores, making the supermarket chain the first in the country to carry the line.

Since then, a handful of high-end supermarkets and specialty stores have begun offering the products.

Greg Norman Signature Wagyu is a 350-day, grain-fed line of imported Australian Wagyu. The Japanese breed, famous for producing Kobe beef, is known for producing steaks with generous marbling, and for producing meat that is lower in saturated fats than other types of beef.

Pro golfer Greg Norman had this to say about bringing his brand to Bristol Farms: “I'm very pleased that our flagship Greg Norman Signature Wagyu line is sold through one of California's leading food retailers, particularly one that is synonymous with exceptional standards of product quality and service.”