SYDNEY Royal Easter Show visitors will be told the Australia Lamb Paddock to Plate Story through a 360-degree virtual reality experience with Meat & Livestock Australia this week.

The Australian Lamb Paddock to Plate Story enables consumers to experience the industry through a virtual reality headset from the comfort of the Australian Good Meat Coach, taking them into the world of Australian sheep farming, transportation, processing, and end markets, such as butchers.

The lamb experience builds on the huge success of MLA’s Australian Beef Paddock to Plate Story, which used the same technology to share the beef production story with the community, and was featured at the 2018 Sydney Royal Easter Show.

The video features lamb producer Michael Craig, from Harrow, Victoria, and other stakeholders from throughout the value chain, including Horsham Regional Livestock Exchange manager Paul Christopher, JBS farm assurance and supply chain manager Mark Inglis and Prahran butcher Gary McBean.

Well-known Australian chef, restaurateur, presenter and food writer, Karen Martini, also presents during the virtual reality tour.

Lamb story is transparent and open – MLA

The Australian Lamb Paddock to Plate Story enables consumers to experience the industry through a virtual reality headset in the Australian Good Meat Coach.

MLA community programs communications m,anager Fiona Young said since the launch of the Australian Beef Paddock to Plate Story at the EKKA in Brisbane in August 2017, more than 32,500 people had experienced Australia’s beef production system.

“We’re now focused on showcasing Australia’s world-renowned lamb industry through this fully immersive and highly engaging resource, to continue to meet the rise in consumer interest in the provenance of food.

“Recent research for MLA shows that only about one in five meat eaters have a good understanding of the Australian red meat industry and there are now almost 20 percent fewer Australians from urban centres visiting cattle or sheep farms annually compared to eight years ago,” Ms Young said.

“The Lamb Paddock to Plate Story further demonstrates to consumers that the red meat industry is transparent and open.

“Community engagement and trust is integral to a sustainable and prosperous industry in the long-term,” she said.

The Australian Lamb Paddock to Plate Story is showing daily from 9am-7pm on weekends and public holidays and 9am-6.30pm Monday to Fridays at the Woolworths Food Farm Pavilion for the duration of the show.

As part of this year’s Royal Easter Show, MLA’s Australian Good Meat platform will also be sponsoring sessions at the Australian Women’s Weekly Theatre Kitchen within the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome.

The Australian Good Meat cooking demonstrations within the Theatre Kitchen allows visitors to pick up tips, brand new recipes and even taste what’s cooking at the free live cooking demonstrations.

The Australian Good Meat sessions will be at 11am for six days between 12-17 April 2019, and will feature Australian Good Meat Beef and Lamb recipes as well as MLA chefs and red meat producers talking about how they produce top quality Australian beef and lamb.

Source: MLA.