Thornby Premium Lamb has diversified its business model by entering the export market for the first time with its self-branded lamb products.

Thornby Premium Lamb products, including retail and consumer-ready packs, hit Japan in July this year, with plans also underway to target the Chinese market.

The longstanding family business is run by Paul McGorman, his brother Alex and father John who operate the family farm at Sanderston on the outskirts of the Murray Mallee.

They also run a premium breeding property on Kangaroo Island, mating merino ewes to white Suffolk rams to produce high quality lambs raised for meat.

Paul McGorman says the family farm supplied to wholesale markets before making the decision to value-add to the business by launching their own premium meat brand, now spotted in butchers and restaurants across SA and interstate.

A full-time sales and marketing role was created recently to help push the Thornby brand.

“We have always been big on diversification,” Paul says.

“While we sell our own branded product in Adelaide and Melbourne butchers and restaurants, we’re very excited by our first export to Japan this year.

“We’re taking full control and we’re also looking actively into the Chinese market – we’re going to a trade show in Shanghai in November.”

Paul says the decision to branch out from the farm’s traditional ties to the saleyard market was spurred after Thornby snagged the title of Australia’s Best Lamb at Lambex in 2014.

“We always thought that one day we’d have our own premium branded products and after winning a few awards we decided it was time to put our lamb out there,” he says.

“We’ve identified that there is a trend in the food industry where people want to know where their food is coming from.”

About 6000 lambs are bred at Thornby’s Kangaroo Island property, where they are raised until they reach weaning at about six months of age.

They are then brought to the Thornby feedlot at Sanderston where they are fed a grain-based diet for about 10 weeks before reaching the end stage of production.

The McGormans crop about 2400ha per year of wheat, barley and hay to feed the livestock. They also practice in wool production.

“With our self-feeders, the lambs can access high-quality grain 24/7 and there is plenty of room for them to roam naturally.

“They therefore grow at a faster rate because they’re eating a good quality diet and not having to forage for grass all day long. You end up with produce that is tender, with a milder flavour.”

Thornby Premium Lamb turns over more than 50,000 lambs a year, breeding about 6000 of them while buying in the remainder from other farmers.

The business employs a team of 14 and Paul says many of its workers are in their mid ‘20s, proving that a career in South Australia’s agribusiness industry is still a viable pathway.

“The average age of our employees is about 23, and we employ attitudes not skills. Our employees are keen to learn and willing to get involved,” he says.

“There is strong jobs growth in agriculture and the meat and wool prices are going up, so it’s definitely a good time to be involved in agriculture.

“We’re excited by the future, enough so that we are significantly investing in a new shearing shed with a purpose-built showroom to display our product range.”

Thornby Premium Lamb products can be found at The Barossa Co-op,Feast! Fine Foods at Unley, Norwood, and the Adelaide Central Market, and increasingly in a number of SA restaurants supplied by Galipo Food Company.

“When you support local brands you’re supporting local farmers,” Paul adds.

Industry in focus: Agribusiness

Throughout the month of October, the state’s agribusiness industry will be under the magnifying glass as part of I Choose SA.

South Australian farmers, producers, agricultural researchers and biosecurity workers are the lifeblood of our country communities and are big players in the state’s overall economic welfare. Read more stories here.

Visit I Choose SA to meet the people building business and industry in SA, and to find out how your choices make a difference to our state.

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