Buying a Whole, Half or Quarter Beast: A Practical Guide

If you eat a lot of beef or lamb, buying a whole, half or quarter beast is the single biggest cost-saver available to you - and the easiest way to fill a freezer with consistently great meat. But it can sound intimidating if you've never done it. Here's the plain-English guide.

What you actually get

A side (half) of beef gives you a complete cross-section of the animal: steaks, roasts, mince, sausages, slow-cook cuts, bones for stock. Our farm sister-brand Hunter Natural sells these direct - quarter, half, or whole - from our Upper Hunter Valley farm.

• Quarter beast (~50kg): Roughly 4-6 months of beef for a small family. Mix of steaks, roasts, mince, slow-cook cuts.
• Half beast / side (~100kg): 8-12 months of beef for a family of four. Far better value per kg than buying individual cuts.
• Whole beast (~200kg): Splits well between two families, or feeds a household of six for a year.

How it works

1. Order through Hunter Natural - choose your size, lock in your cut list (we'll suggest a default if you're unsure).
2. We process at Morpeth Butchery - your beast is broken down into the cuts you specified, packed in cryovac, ready to freeze.
3. Pickup or delivery - arrange pickup from the shop, or speak to us about delivery options.
4. Stock the freezer. Properly wrapped beef keeps 12 months frozen.

Common questions

Will my freezer fit it? A standard chest freezer holds a side of beef comfortably. A quarter fits in most kitchen freezers if you're strategic.

Can I customise the cut list? Absolutely. More mince, less mince, smaller portion sizes, mince on the coarse or fine side - we'll cut to suit your kitchen.

What about lamb? Same model - whole or half lamb from Hunter Natural, processed at Morpeth.

How fresh is it? Each order is processed to your specification, then packaged and frozen at peak quality. You're getting beef in better condition than anything you'll find in a supermarket.

Worth it?

The per-kilo price of a side of beef is dramatically lower than buying individual cuts. Plus you get cuts the supermarket doesn't carry - oxtail, marrow bones, beef cheeks, brisket - that turn into incredible meals.

If you'd like to chat through whether it's right for your household, give us a call on (02) 4933 7541 or visit Hunter Natural at hunter-natural.com.au.