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Home / The Country

Hawke's Bay free-range chickens in hot demand in China

Hawkes Bay Today
9 Oct, 2017 05:00 PM3 mins to read

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Ben and George Bostock inside their container of organic chicken bound for Hong Kong. Photo/Supplied

Ben and George Bostock inside their container of organic chicken bound for Hong Kong. Photo/Supplied

A growing appetite for organic chicken in China has put a Hawke's Bay company on the global food scene.

Kiwi brothers Ben and George Bostock, who own Bostock's Organic Free Range Chicken, have started supplying their product to top supermarket chains and restaurants in Hong Kong.

A recent trip to Asia's food capital has secured supply contracts to three of Hong Kong's major supermarket chains and a string of high-profile restaurants.

Ben Bostock said he and his brother George were pleased to be putting the clean, green New Zealand image on the map in the international poultry scene.

"We're very excited to expand the brand and have our product accepted into Hong Kong's cuisine scene.

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"They are recognising our organic farming practices as synonymous of the Kiwi 'clean green' image, they like eating what New Zealanders are eating and they're prepared to pay a premium for it."

"Hong Kong nationals are losing trust in the provenance of other imported poultry products and now see New Zealand-raised organic chicken as the best in the world," he said.

It's exciting to see their organic chicken products taking prime position on Hong Kong supermarket shelves, Mr Bostock said.

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"Hong Kong's supermarkets only stock the best products from around the world.

"With a large affluent expat community, customers are a melting pot of westerners and Chinese nationals with money to spend.

"Stores are immaculate and every product has its place of origin on proud display."

Younger brother, George, said this reward was down to years of staying true to their strict organic farming practices.

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"International consumers are more aware of where their food comes from now and they want to know the back story.

"We are totally transparent and show the best way for chickens to be raised in New Zealand - and that's free-ranging on green pasture, in amongst the apple trees."

The Bostock brothers have recently loaded their third shipping container destined for Hong Kong, from their organic chicken business in Hastings.

This partnership will see a small portion of the company's premium product shipped offshore each year.

Bostock's Organic Free Range Chicken was started in 2014 by Ben Bostock.

He began raising the chickens on pasture in open paddocks near the family apple orchard where he grew up in Hawke's Bay.

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When his brother George joined the business last year they moved their chickens on to an apple orchard and built chalets to house the chickens among the apple trees.

The company is New Zealand's leading certified organic chicken product.

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