Press Release The Morning Bulletin Sat 9 May 2009

It is the ultimate story of paddock to plate for Banana Station 5th generation Beef producers Mark Wilson, Annie Donoghue and their sister Kylie Wilson, General Manager of Keppel Bay Marina.

In a family whose history with the Beef Week expo goes right back to the very first Beef 88 in 1988, there is the perfect balance of experience in beef production and hospitality to make the perfect partnership.

 

In 1988 Libbie Wilson was the Beef Promotions convenor of the expo, organising for the first time a beef promotion involving 56 restaurants in the region serving special beef menus and promoting a special Beef 88 Penfolds wine.

 

Fast forward 21 years to 2009, and there may be only one restaurant involved this time, but the Wilson family's Waterline Restaurant at their Keppel Bay Marina is not just serving beef specials, but is serving BEEF 2009 CHAMPION BEEF produced on the family's Banana Station Cattle Properties.  Banana Station this week won most successful exhibitor at the Australian Beef Cattle Championships, the Nation’s greatest expo.

 

"It gives Libbie and I great satisfaction to see our family achieving such great success" says Richard Wilson, " it is truly unique for a family to both produce and serve in a restaurant their own produce, and makes it even for satisfying to know we are producing and serving the Nation’s best beef."

 

 The Wilson family's Banana Station won 8 prizes with grass fed cattle including the Grand Champion grass fed pen of Heifers in the Australian Beef Cattle Championships. Also winning first and second prizes in the National Beef Carcase Championships for heavy trade and export grass fed carcases judged at 21 Australian Abattoirs, which was a repeat of their successes at Beef 2006.  

 

Banana Station sell their cattle exclusively to JBS Swift Australia's Rockhampton plant, where the beef is carefully aged and delivered to The Waterline at Keppel Bay Marina.

 

It is our most popular dish on the menu, says Kylie Wilson, General Manager, "particularly this week, where our signature Banana Station Eye Fillet, with roasted bone marrow, potato and daikon galette and bordelaise sauce is outselling all our other dishes ten to one!"

 

"We only serve Banana Station Beef, because we can trust and believe in the product.  Being grass fed, it delivers a far superior flavour, and because we know the exacting standards of production and processing, we can guarantee a tender and flavourful product on the plate every time, and that is what keeps our customers coming back for more."

 

The Champion Heifers beef will be processed by Swift Australia this week, and will be aged and presented on the menu at The Waterline in June.  

 

The beef currently on the menu at The Waterline is from the same line of Charolais composite heifers, so you can enjoy champion beef at The Waterline right now.

 

Produced specifically for the export market, 

Banana Station beef is only available at The Waterline, Keppel Bay Marina.