FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1055, 22 September 1883, Page 2

FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Mr John Reid, of Elderslie, has written as follows to the New Zealand Refrigerating Company:—“l have bad a great many interesting chats with the meat salesmen in Smithfield, and I am glad to find that without exception they are all greatly pleased with the meat, and many of them expressed their regret that they could not get regular supplies of such shipments as the Fenstantou’a. They say it is precisely the quality they want. One largo firm, B. Barker and Co., Central

Meat Market, Smithfield, said they could do with a very large quantity, as theycontract for the supply of a number of public institutions with moat, but owing to the very intermittent nature of the supplies from New Zealand, they can’t make any contracts for supplying it alone, which they would do if plenty could ho had. With reference to the shipment ex Fenstanton it was first-class in every particular. The salesmen could not offer a suggestion which would be likely to cause any improvement in the condition of the cargo, and the size of the sheep and proportion of fat and lean meat left nothing to be desired. I sent a number of my sheep as presents to friends in Scotland, and all without exception pronounce it equal to the best they ever tasted. One was given to Dr W. S. Play fair, of London, who pronounced it firstrate mutton. He told me a few days since that he was to have a dinner party of some twenty medical men, and intended giving the n the frozen mutton. I have not yet heard what their opinion of it was. One sheep was sent to a friend at a Highland place on the Kyle? of Bute, and although it was several days in transit it arrived in splendid order, uni was partly distributed among the Highland sheep farmers there, where it caused quite a sensation, so my friend writes to me. From all that I have been able to learn so far, the necessity for opening shops for the special purpose of selling our shipments is nor, likely to arise for many years. All that is lively to be sent fro > Australia and New Zealand will be absorbed without difficulty, and the fact that the retail butchers actually do sell, and are able to sell our meat as British grown will gradually induce them to compete for it mr»rn marrnv]ir onrl malro fKa rvrioa ffit'An

approximate more closely t# the price which they have - to" pay-for home fed mutton. I think 'therefore that all we hava to do in the colonies is to endeavor to get shipping facilities sufficient to take away regularly all our surplus of fat stock. Of one thing I am more than ever strongly convinced, and that is that we should only send our best mutton. The Fenstanton may be safely regarded as a model shipment, both as to size of carcase and quality, and ‘if possible every shipment sent in future should be up to that standard. If this is attended to there will be no lack of purchasers on this side.”