Cattleman Michael Lee from QLD:

Tell us about your farm and its history.

My dad and grandad bought Brindley Park, their first farm in the Roma district of Queensland back in the late sixties.

How many cattle do you have on the farm at any one time?

Here on Brindley Park we generally carry about eight thousand cattle, but it depends on the season and the amount of other crops we want to grow.

It’s a big job!  Who helps run the farm?

Looking after cattle is a big job, we have a dedicated manager to look after each farm. I’m just one bloke in a large team that's needed to keep things running smoothly.

How long have you been supplying to Coles?

Our family first started supplying Coles with live cattle back in 1972, before I was even around.

How do you ensure that the meat supplied to Coles is the best possible quality?

We make sure our beef for Coles is the best possible by having well bred cattle, raised on pastures under experienced management that is supported by good systems, quality inputs, high welfare standards and world best practice hygiene and processing standards.

What should we look for when buying quality beef?

How to identify quality beef? - Its easy now -  just drop into your local Coles and choose any products from the Coles Butcher or Coles Finest range. For something a little bit special look for steak cuts that have a light cherry red colour, white external fat and some marbling (flecks of white) in the meat.

You have many years experience in cattle farming, is supplying great quality meat, something you take pride in?

We thrive on the continuing challenge to be the best and consistently produce and deliver beef products that customers come back for and more importantly talk about.

What’s your favourite way to eat sausage?

Coles BBQ sausage - nothing better than bending a slice of fresh buttered white bread around one with tomato sauce and onions.

What’s your favourite way to eat mince?

My girlfriend makes the best ‘spag bol’ on the planet. She would like to use 5 star and me 3 star, so we compromise (I do the shopping) with Coles 4 star beef mince.

Being a cattle farmer, you must cook a pretty good BBQ, what’s your top tip?

All blokes believe they are master BBQ chefs - my top tip is - just make sure the BBQ plate is hot n’ smoking and don't overcook.

Tell us about gluten-free sausages, how do you guarantee they are gluten-free and why does this matter?

Gluten free means nearly everyone can enjoy a Coles beef sausage. Quality control procedures ensure our sausages are gluten free as shown on the label.

How do you and Coles guarantee less than 5% fat in the 5 star mince and why is this a good thing?

Many customers look for lean beef as part of a healthy diet and Coles 5 star mince is ideal. Coles can make fat claim statements on their beef mince range thanks to investment in world leading measurement technology, staff training and 3rd party verification to ensure the products meet the label claims.

What’s the difference between grass and grain fed beef, does it affect the flavour?

Feeding grain to cattle improves the marbling and juiciness and can give the beef a slightly sweeter taste. Coles Finest beef range is a good example of this.

Do you see no added hormone beef as a positive step?

While it has been big challenge, hormone free beef is a new and exciting program to meet Coles customers’ expectations of less additives in their food. The beef is also more tender as a result, which is a double bonus for the customer.

Does hormone-free beef taste better?

Taste is very subjective and more influenced by feed type. Consumers prioritise tenderness as most important in beef, so Coles no added hormone beef certainly meets this priority.

What’s your favourite cut of beef?

My favourite all round cut is rib fillet which can also be labelled as scotch fillet or cube roll, however my favourite meat is Coles corned beef silverside which can be eaten hot or cold.

Do you get your 3 servings of red meat every week?

3 servings of red meat per week? If that's the rule then I guess I must be having someone else's share as well!