Significant strides made in North America market
11 December 2024
In 2024, the Aussie Meat Academy made significant strides in promoting Australian beef and lamb across North America.
Central to the Aussie Meat Academy are influential food industry professionals who are passionate, loyal and committed to actively growing the profile of the Aussie Beef and Lamb brand. MLA works with a network of 33 ambassadors to grow the awareness of and preference for Australian red meat in the region.
With 25 events in key markets such as New York, Washington DC, Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles and Toronto, MLA and its ambassadors have educated and inspired over 1,000 food industry professionals. These events have coincided with a boom in Australian beef, lamb, and goatmeat exports to the United States (US) and Canada, reaching historically high levels. This surge in exports presents an unparalleled opportunity for the industry to capitalise on marketing and promotional efforts across North America.
Chefs Seung Jae (John) Lee, Dan Craig, James Eddington, and Matt Rosen (L-R) entertained 75 business guests at The Westin Harbour Castle Toronto as part of MLA's Aussie Lamb promotional event series partnership with the Victoria State Government.
In addition to these events, MLA has partnered with the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst Dining Services team to drive awareness and preference for Australian beef and lamb among the university and college sector in the US. UMass Amherst, recognised for the last seven years as having the best campus food in the US, has collaborated with MLA to develop a comprehensive guide for college and university dining services.
Authored by UMass's Director of Culinary Excellence, Alex Ong, and Chief Procurement Officer of Auxiliary Services, Chris Howland, the guide offers valuable insights into popular recipes and innovative student engagement activities involving Australian red meat. Additionally, the guide includes nutritional analysis of recipes, prepared by well-known nutritionist and UMass graduate, Diana Rodgers RD. This guide serves as a glowing endorsement of the Aussie Beef & Lamb brand and is a great tool for growing awareness and preference for these products among the nearly 1,500 colleges and universities in the US with on-campus dining services.
The combined efforts of the Aussie Meat Academy and the partnership with UMass Amherst have positioned Aussie Beef and Lamb for continued success in North America. This is helping to ensure that the industry remains at the forefront of the market. The timing of these initiatives is particularly advantageous, as the industry has arguably never been in a better position to capitalise on marketing and promotional efforts across North America.
The success of these initiatives highlights the importance of strategic partnerships and targeted marketing efforts in driving the global presence of Aussie Beef and Lamb. As the industry continues to grow, these efforts will play a crucial role in maintaining and expanding its market share in North America.
