After one year in business and investing "something under $500,000" in a purpose-built processing centre for a homekill business, husband and wife Arron Ogle and Vicki Moselen say they have never looked back.
"We just knew it was such a good opportunity and we knew the risk factor of investing a sizeable amount of capital was not as high as you might think in a recession because people really want access to this type of meat.
"They want to know where their meat is coming from, they want their animals killed humanely, they want tender meat and they want to pay less for meat products than they do at the supermarket. It is such a promising industry, it was really a no-brainer," they say.
Arron Ogle had trained and worked as a butcher before spending several years managing his parents farm; Vicki Moselen is a nurse with a keen interest in business management, and is doing a business course with Te Wananga O Aotearoa in Whangarei, which she says has been a key factor in building their confidence as they move forward with the venture.
The idea evolved as Aaron became increasingly busy doing homekills for friends and neighbours, up to five a week.
"When we heard that Kevin Lomas was selling his business, I thought, bugger it, let's give it a go," he says.
The couple bought the 23-year-old business and put up a purpose-built plant on land they owned on the Whananaki North Rd.
The plant and operation have been structured to deliver on the company's guarantees of well-hung meat and that every bit of what clients collect frozen and boxed has come from their own animals.
The business specialises in killing and processing beef, pigs, sheep and game for farmers and lifestyle block owners within a radius of about 60km.
Two of the staff go out to farms or lifestyle blocks to kill the animals, putting an electrical current through the carcass to facilitate tenderness, and weighing the animals in front of clients so there are no issues about the weight of the processed meat products. The carcasses are then hung for seven to 10 days in the plant's chillers to ensure optimal tenderness before being cut and packed to client requirements; labelled and wrapped supermarket style; meticulously stored in labelled client trays; blast-frozen, boxed and finally delivered free of charge to a pick-up point.
"We are basically doing it exactly the way I would want my meat done," says Arron.
The couple now employ a staff of nine and are continuing to invest in plant.
Arron says his biggest worry had been how he would get on managing staff when he started because he hadn't done that before but he says his management style of providing a family, co-operative atmosphere where they help each other, "more of a social thing", seems to be working. There are plenty of jokes and fewer mistakes when everyone is keeping an eye out for everyone else, he says.
There had been a small lull through the depths of winter but the "silly season" had begun well and truly, with 12 calls the day before. "Now things have gone absolutely nuts."