Page 53 - NZ Hereford Magazine 2023

The Te Awamutu farm where Mike van der Hoeven will finish cattle to supply to Hereford Prime. The property purchase is part of
expansion that’s occurred within the Magills business and he hopes to finish about 200 head annually.

range was the only slow-cooked meat among the winners.
Oxford Pies, a customer that already uses and loves a variety
of Hereford Prime beef cuts for their products, recently ran a
promotion with The Breeze radio station and New Zealand gold
medallist Eric Murray. Eric designed a delicious Slow-cooked
Pulled Hereford beef, cheese, and creamy mash pie and they
ended up raising more than $2500 for Autism New Zealand.
Recent additions to the Magills’ clientele are New Zealand
schools. Because of the strict regulations set by the Ministry of
Education around the products schools are allowed to cook and
serve students, the chefs have been thrilled to find a product
that not only ticks all the boxes nutrition-wise but is also ready
in minutes – great when feeding thousands of hungry students.
Now the sous vide
factory is completed, the
“Magills is still processing factory where
very much a production used to take
strong family- place will focus primarily on
the boning of the Hereford
owned and Prime beef bodies and the Chris De Bruyn prepares Hereford Prime beef in the recently
operated production of bacon. commissioned sous vide factory.
Magills Butchery is a
company.” third-generation family-
Mike van der Hoeven owned and operated
Magills Butchery owner business located in Te
Awamutu. Established in
1939, the butchery thrived
in the small town for many years.
Supermarkets then opened and like many other businesses,
it was difficult to compete with the big corporations. However,
despite the challenge, Magills diversified and has been doing
so ever since. With a reputation for great meat and quality
service, Magills has continued to expand its customer base
over the decades – from originally just retail, to now servicing
hundreds of wholesale customers each week.
Mike is slowly stepping back as he approaches retirement.
Two of his sons, John and Edward, are heavily involved in the
business and the fourth generation – their nieces and nephews Tina Derbyshire, left and Julie Van De Steeg at work in Magills’
– are now at the age where they too are coming on board. new sous vide factory, which has the potential to lift pulled meat
“Magills is still very much a strong family-owned and production from 500kg a day to about four tonne a day with the
operated company,” Mike says. addition of night shifts.

Year 2023 HEREFORD MAGAZINE 51