17 October 2023: Woolworths New Zealand has launched an enhanced range of in-house meat products, following a three-year review and increased investment in its North Island Meat Plant.

The new line - which includes mince, steak, burger patties, lamb and fresh pork – is now produced by Countdown’s at its centralised North Island meat butchering and packaging facility, and is focused on ensuring the highest quality own brand meat products for customers.

The revamped range features informative packaging to help shoppers make well-informed decisions about their meat choices. For instance, individuals seeking the ideal lean meat for a lasagna can opt for the 5% fat content, while those aiming for a flavoursome cottage pie can select a product with an 18% fat content.

Woolworths New Zealand Commercial Director for Fresh, Pieter De Wet, emphasised the continuous evolution of the in-house product range, with a particular focus on meat products.

"Over the past three years, our team of expert product developers has evaluated and, where necessary, reformulated every North Island meat product. We’ve looked at texture, size, appearance, freshness, sensory attributes, cooking performance, and taste to ensure that our meat range is of the absolute best quality for our shoppers.

“We want to be the preferred private label brand when it comes to high-quality, affordable family meals. Any product bearing a dark green stamp has to earn the right to carry the Countdown brand and goes through rigorous product development to be included in the range. We’re very excited to see this finally come to life and looking forward to seeing how customers embrace our new meat line and engage with the innovative packaging.” says Pieter.

ENDS