Butcher shops in Australia usually sell beef, chicken, lamb, and increasingly kangaroo, offal, and sometimes fish.
Chicken is the most commonly consumed of all meats or poultry by weight, with approximately 47 kg of chicken consumed by the average Australian per year.
Australia is among the top meat-consuming nations of the world - eating on average almost 108kg of meat annually per person.
Australia's favourite meats
While red meat has traditionally taken pride of place at the centre of the Aussie dinner table, we're now eating half as much lamb as in the 1980s and two-thirds the amount of beef, but nearly 2.5 times as much chicken and twice as much pork.
Production and consumption figures
Among EU nations, Greece is the per capita leader in consumption at 12.3 kg, while the UK's annual per capita lamb consumption is 4.7 kg. Outside of the OECD, the largest per capita consumer overall is Mongolia, with 45.1 kg.
Sheep meat consumption
According to the OECD, the consumption of sheep's meat—including both lamb and mutton—is most popular in Kazakhstan, Australia, and Turkey. Amongst EU nations, Greece is the top consumer of lamb per capita, consuming around 27.11lbs per person per year.
2/ Australian beef is packed full of flavour (and nutrition)
In Australia, around 97% of cattle is grass fed thanks to our plentiful grazing pastures. Many steak aficionados prefer the taste of grass-fed beef as it tends to be more flavoursome and has a classic “meaty” profile.
The most consumed type of meat worldwide is poultry, followed by beef, and lastly pork. The countries with the highest meat consumption per capita are Argentina, Israel, and Iceland, while India has one of the lowest levels of meat consumption per capita.
Australian beef is leaner by virtue of the All-Grass diet with a much more distinct fresh Grass-Fed flavor and sweeter aroma. US beef which will tend to be much lighter in color and fattier by virtue of grains being used more.
We use only 100% Aussie grown beef to serve you the best beef burgers, sourced from farmers across the country. Our Angus beef is 100% Aussie grown. Known around the world for its quality and taste, we source our Angus beef from Aussie farmers.
A typical Aussie barbecue is with sausages, burgers, steak, fresh seafood, bread and tomato or barbecue sauce, they sometimes include salad but it's mainly about the meat and fish (and of course a few stubbies – that's beer to the non-Australians). Australians will literally have a barbeque anywhere, not just at home.
It's generally cooked rare to medium, often primarily on one side. Tastewise, it's closest to beef, kangaroo goes well with garlic, pepper, juniper, rosemary and fruity flavors such as plum, red currant and orange. And no, Australians don't eat deep-fried koalas.
While fresh fruit is the snack of choice during the day, Aussies are also eating a lot of baked goodies, pastries, bread, nuts, seed, dried fruit, cheeses and confectionery.
Famous for their cattle and farming, Australia has a long and storied tradition of cattle ranching, and is blessed with pristine pastures and one of the most unpolluted environments in the world. This allows them to deliver one of the highest quality beef in the world, especially their superb Australian Wagyu beef.
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world (36%) followed by poultry (33%), beef (24%), and goats/sheep (5%).
Cattle hold a traditional place as objects of reverence in countries such as India. Some Hindus, particularly Brahmins, are vegetarian and strictly abstain from eating meat. All of those who do eat meat abstain from the consumption of beef, as the cow holds a sacred place in Hinduism.
Japanese Wagyu beef is ultimately the most delicious type of beef in the world. It has a better texture and taste than Australian one. But, Australian Wagyu has its worth as it is about 95% of the original Japanese Wagyu beef. However, both the Wagyu beef, Australian and Japanese, are in demand because of purity.
Researchers from La Trobe University, Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology surveyed more than 3000 Australians about their views on diet and eating habits. Thirty-two per cent of participants said they had reduced their meat consumption in the past 12 months.
Australia has an internationally recognised status of being free from all major epidemic diseases of sheep and cattle including foot and mouth disease (FMD), scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
Because so few states in America initially raised sheep, the cost for lamb meat would be higher than other meats. This cost barrier prevented many Americans from even trying lamb meat. This initial barrier has made it difficult for lamb meat to gain popularity in the US.
High prices are being driven by strong international demand from China and North America, combined with low flock numbers. A trade lamb currently costs nine per cent of the average weekly wage — its highest point since the early 1980s.