Carving out a niche for wagyu afficionados

Meat Mate, a chain of modern butcher shops in Beijing, offers chilled Australian wagyu beef freshly delivered every day. You can also have it cooked in the store. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Meat Mate's brand spokesperson Guo Mian explains the difference between frozen and chilled meat.

"When you freeze beef, the water within the beef turns to ice. After you defrost it, the water drains from the meat as it dries before cooking. So, its texture is not as moist and juicy as chilled beef."

Chilled beef usually comes with a 120-day warranty after being vacuum-packed at source. The usual transportation time from the slaughterhouse in Australia to Beijing is around 40 days by sea.

Noticing the growing demand for high quality beef in the capital, Guo's team sparked on the idea of opening up a high-end meat outlet.

"We want to cut the link between retailers and restaurants, and bring the premium meat directly to our customers," says Guo.

Meat Mate provides every type of cut of Australian wagyu, including sirloin, ribeye, and filet mignon for beef steaks, while also selling short ribs for hotpots and barbecues.

Customers can buy chilled wagyu beef freshly delivered every day and choose to either to take it home to cook, or have it cooked for them in the store.

A grill chef is on duty to cook the beef to order and offer culinary advice, and customers can order side dishes such as french fries, salads and soft drinks with their food.

"We also plan on running steak cooking classes for our clients," Guo says.

A meat-matching array of sea salts, cheeses and a selection of red wines are also available at the store.

"We provide everything customers will need to cook the steak when they take it back home," Guo says. "We are also preparing beef soup for the winter time."