Deck with a view: Chris McGregor on the deck of the renovated original homestead at Sevens Creek Wagyu. A successful business woman in her own right, Ms McGregor has always made her home on large properties after a childhood spent on a Wyuna farm. “The whole time I was working in business, in Melbourne or Shepparton, I still come home to cattle,” she said.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
It’s been one year since Sevens Creek Wagyu opened its on-farm restaurant, and the dining spot is going from strength to strength, successfully narrowing the “paddock to plate” journey to a matter of metres.
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Normally the small creek-side restaurant does one daily sitting on weekends and holidays, but on Australia Day it ran two sessions to avoid being swamped.
The diners scored a near-perfect Australia Day experience, spaced out under large gum trees along a private section of Sevens Creek, able to watch as a professional chef cooked some of the best Japanese Wagyu in Australia over red gum coals.
It all seems perfectly planned out, but owner Chris McGregor never intended to spend her retirement as a restaurateur.
“Traditionally I was selling direct to Melbourne restaurants; of course, through the lockdowns I needed to find a new way of selling my product,” Ms McGregor said.
Sizzle: Sevens Creek Wagyu is on Richards Lane, close to the popular Polly McQuinns swimming spot.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
Now Sevens Creek Wagyu is available to the public through Ms McGregor’s farm shop alongside the outdoor restaurant.
“I think it’s important people get to experience genuine Wagyu beef, because there is a lot of inferior stuff out there” — Chris McGregor
“I think it’s important people get to experience genuine Wagyu beef, because there is a lot of inferior stuff out there,” she said.
“Everything you can eat at the restaurant you can buy here. We actually sell a lot of brisket. People are getting right into the barbecuing and smoking thing now.”
Value add: Mince, burger patties and pies are just some of the products available at the farm store. All produce is vacuum-packed and able to be stored easily for seven days.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
Sevens Creek Wagyu beef has scored 9 in marbling previously.
At the time, it was the highest score that could be achieved in Australia.
Since then the score has expanded by Meat Standards Australia to include a 9+ category to encompass what many consider perfection in beef form.
Hype for the type: What everyone raves about — the perfect spider webbing of fat throughout Wagyu beef makes it a soft, consistently delicious eating experience. Wagyu cattle developed this marbling pattern because of their traditional use as draft animals, where they needed to access energy for heavy labour jobs.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
“I’ve found people love watching their meals get cooked,” Ms McGregor said.
“They will go over and talk with the chef and he’ll tell them how he’s cooking it.
“Nine out of 10 will go up and thank him for the meal.”
Chef Francisco Arbelo was the one working over the coals on Australia Day.
Mr Arbelo said the secret to cooking Wagyu was to use a “white hot” grill.
“Every chef is different. I sear one side and, depending on the thickness, cook for 45 seconds to one minute. Then I rest it for three to four minutes,” Mr Arbelo said.
“Something bigger, like an eye fillet, I will cook for up to 20 minutes, moving it around to find those cold and hot spots and keeping it moving. I then rest it for 10 minutes.”
Work station: Francisco Arbelo prepares a meal over the coals. Ms McGregor said she was lucky to have such reliable employees. “I think having any employees at the moment is lucky, with the staff shortages going around,” she said. “A lot left hospitality during the lockdowns and aren’t coming back.”
Photo by
Daneka Hill
During the week Mr Arbelo works in a Melbourne café, but he keeps coming back to the Strathbogie hills for the customer interaction.
“It’s amazing, you get that feedback straight away, you don’t have a middle man,” he said.
“They ask me what we season with, but I only use salt.”
All the cuts are prepared by Euroa butcher Mark Collier who said there was a certain skill needed for Wagyu.
“Because it’s worth $200 a kilo you have to minimise wastage,” Mr Collier said.
“Portion control is vital. The steaks have to be 300 to 250 grams and you need to have an eye for it.”
Sides: In Ms McGregor’s own words, you can’t go wrong with roast potatoes.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
Onlookers: Cows and calves watch the front gate. Behind them is the track up to the farm shop and restaurant area. Wagyu cattle can look like Angus to the untrained eye, but they have a more ‘ox-like’, hardy style and are smaller.
Photo by
Daneka Hill
Ms McGregor said public holidays were always big for bookings.
“I decided to open every day over the Christmas-new year holidays, which was exhausting,” she said.
“People are still coming out and it’s mainly word-of-mouth that gets them here.
“I’m hopeless with social media, I’m lucky my children are very patient.”
Comes with a view: All the outdoor tables are placed so diners can either see the creek or hear the water.
Photo by
Rodney Braithwaite
Of the customers, Ms McGregor estimates 70 to 80 per cent are from the Shepparton area.
“It’s funny, they tend to like travelling away. Then there’s the fact we’re five degrees cooler up here all year round,” she said.
The 350ha Strathbogie farm is the main nursery area for Sevens Creek Wagyu with eight bulls spaced across the property.
“I use AI then follow it up with the bulls,” Ms McGregor said.
“Right now I’m finishing about 10 steers a month.”
Sevens Creek Wagyu can be purchased on-farm, online or at Violet Town Corner Store, Burton’s IGA Euroa and Yarck Meat and Produce.
