Orange On Farm Butchers - David and Melissa Moller

How long have you been a butcher, David?

I left school and went straight into the meat works, so I've been working with meat for 28 years or so now. I've done everything in the boning room, quality assurance as well, and I've been a meat department manager for both Woolworths and IGA.

So what exactly do you do as an On Farm Butcher?

Any farmer with an animal that they want butchered we can go out and kill it onsite. We supply a coolroom and leave it there and come back the next day, next week, however long they want to hang the animal for and then butcher it onsite and pack it for them,

What’s the advantage for the farmer getting you onsite?

It causes less stress on the animal, because it is not being transported around. You know how the animal has been raised, how it has been dispatched and you know you are getting your animal back. We cut it up however they like and we can make you sausages, corned beef if you want, so it is not just steak and mince.

Is there any maximum or minimum numbers of animals you can handle?

There's not really a limit, but we would like to do three or four lambs at a time to make it worthwhile. The most we've done is 16 lambs in one job, so we can handle a bit. Lambs and goats are a fixed price each, but pork and beef are per kilo just because they can vary so much.

How far are you willing to travel?

I'd like to keep within an hour or so of Orange but we will travel if the job is worth it.

You said this is only a part-time job at the moment, are there any days you are not available?

I'm pretty much available any time, but just ring up and book because it gets busy.