More than Mutton: Central West Producers Putting Goat Meat on the Map

Central West goat producers Jo and Craig Stewart from The Gourmet Goat Lady. PICTURE: Facebook

Jessica Dempster

Goat meat may be one of the world’s most widely consumed proteins, but in Australia it has long struggled to shake its niche status.

In central west New South Wales, Jo and Craig Stewart have been working diligently to change that.

Trading as The Gourmet Goat Lady, the couple have spent more than a decade building a premium farmed goat enterprise – transitioning from hobbyists into recognised suppliers of consistent, high-quality goat meat.

Products by The Gourmet Goat Lady. PICTURE: Facebook.

Speaking with FlowFM’s Jessica Dempster on Country Viewpoint, Jo said the journey began unexpectedly in 2008, when their daughter Abby was gifted a young goat named Olivia.

“We brought this little goat home and just fell in love with her,” Jo said. “She was cheeky and full of personality. That was probably the start of it all.”

At the time, the Stewarts were running cattle on their central NSW farm, but a family holiday prompted Jo to question the economics of traditional livestock.

“We’d sold cattle for $1.89 a kilo just before we left, and then I walked into a butcher shop and saw mince for $15.99 a kilo,” she said. “I remember thinking, someone’s making money - and it’s not us.”

A suggestion from a business advisor around this same time to “find a point of difference” sparked inspiration for a new endeavor.

“He said, ‘Everyone’s selling beef -why don’t you sell your goats?’” Jo said. “It sounded like a great idea.”

With just 10 goats on hand, the couple began researching the global demand for goat meat, discovering it to be one of the most widely consumed red meats worldwide - and free from many religious restrictions, making it a household staple amongst many cultures.

Their first major breakthrough came with the sale of 10 capretto goats to an Italian restaurant in Sydney.

“As far as I was concerned, we were in business,” Jo said.

Rebranding followed, with the business adopting the name The Gourmet Goat Lady - a tongue-in-cheek nod to how customers were already referring to Jo.

Some of Jo and Craig's goats on their NSW farm. PICTURE: Facebook

“People were already calling me the goat lady whenever they rang up to enquire about our meat,” she said. “One day someone asked if there was anything we could call ourselves that better represented what we do, and I said, ‘Well, they already call me the goat lady.’ I just wanted it to sound a bit posh.”

While the business now had a fun and memorable name, expanding its cliental beyond families who traditionally ate goat was presenting a challenge.

“In a lot of Western areas, you say goat and people say, ‘Oh no, I’m not eating that,’” Jo said. “We’ve had to do a lot of tasting and educating.”

Jo said initially it was challenging to expand their cliental beyond families who had grown up eating goat, but Western perceptions of the meat have gradually improved over time. PICTURE: Facebook.

She said shifting customer perceptions relied on consistency and quality, and understanding the difference between wild-harvested goat and hand-reared industry graded animals like the Stewarts'.

"Not all goats are the same," Jo said. “Just like lamb, it depends how they’re produced and how you cook them.”

As perceptions of goat meat continue to broaden, Jo and Craig last year teamed up with Meat & Livestock Australia and Victorian artisan producer Tibrenaya to create a pork-free goat salami.

Jo and Craig Stewart from The Gourmet Goat Lady with MLA project manager for food innovation Angelica Pickup. PICTURE: Supplied - Meat & Livestock Australia

 Their first commercial batch won gold at a Melbourne competition, later taking out best in class — a notable feat in a category typically dominated by pork.

“It was pretty exciting," Jo said, "There’s absolutely no pork in it, so to win best in class in that category was incredible,” Jo said.

Multiple batches have since sold out, with the couple now exploring further production runs and long-term export potential.

Goat salami by The Gourmet Goat Lady. PICTURE: Facebook.

Back on the farm, the fundamentals remain the same. Jo says while their goats thrive in the Central West's hot climate, calm handling and careful management is the key to raising healthy and happy animals.

“They’re intelligent animals,” she said. “Everything we do is about keeping them stress-free and producing a quality product people can come back for.”

Jo says that goats are "intelligent animals" that require calm handling and careful management. PICTURE: Facebook.

For other producers considering livestock diversification, Jo’s advice is simple: be prepared to hustle.

“It’s been long and arduous,” she said. “But if you can find your niche and stick to your quality, there’s definitely opportunity there.”