THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3805, 25 September 1883, Page 4

THE FROZEN MEAT TRADE.

Mr John Reed, of Eldorslio, has written as follows to the Now Zealand Refrigerating Company :—" I have had a great many interesting chats with the meat salesmen in Smithfield, and I am glad to find that, without exception, they arc all greatly pleased with the moat, and many of them expressed their regret that they could not get regular supplies of such shipments as the Fenstanton's. They say it is precisely tho quality they want. One largo firm, B. Barker and Co., Central Meat Market, Smithfield, said they could do with a very large quantity as they contract for supplying a number of public institutions with meat; but owing to tho very intermittent nature of tho supplies from Now Zealand they cannot make any contracts for supplying it alone, which they would do if plenty could be had. With reference to the shipment ex Fenstanton, it was first-class in every particular, and the salesmen could not offer a suggestion which would be likely to cause any improvement in the condition of the cargo and the sizes of the eheop. Tho 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, pronounced it cqiial to tho best they ever tasted. One was given to Dr. W. S. Playfair, of London, who pronounced it firstrate mutton. He told me a few clays since that ho was to have a dinner party of some twenty modical men and intended giving them the frozen mutton. I have not yet heard what their opinion of it was. One sheep was sent to a friend residing near Kyles, Bute, and although it was several days in transit, it arrived in splendid order, and was partly distributed among tho Highland shecpfarmers, where it caused quite a sensation, my friend writes, to me. From all that I have been able to learn bo far, tho necessity for opening shops for tho special purpose of selling our shipments is not likely to arise for many yenrs. All that is likely to be sent from Australia. and New Zealand will bo absorbed without difficulty, and the fact that tho retail butchers actually do sell, and are able to sell, New Zealand meat as British-grown will gradually induce them to compete for it more eagerly, and make the price given approximate more closely to the price which they have to pay for Homo-fed mutton. I think, therefore, that all we have to do in the colonies is to endeavor to got shipping facilities sufficient to take away regularly all our surplus 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 thcro will bo no lack of purchasers on this side."