General News
3 October, 2023
Castle Estate put on the market
TEN years after Camperdown’s boutique abattoir was commissioned on farmland in Koallah, the service-based meat processor has officially gone on the market.
TEN years after Camperdown’s boutique abattoir was commissioned on farmland in Koallah, the service-based meat processor has officially gone on the market.
A commitment to continual diversification over the past decades saw the family-owned facility grow from beef, lamb, goat and pork processing, to buffalo, alpaca and llamas and more recently wild game, including kangaroo, venison and rabbit.
Managing director Steven Castle said the accreditation and licensing required had been a mammoth undertaking which culminated with the business recently celebrating Tier 2 Export status for both human and pet food.
Castle Estate is one of Victoria’s three abattoirs licensed to process Organically Certified Beef and Lamb and the states only organic certified pork processor.
“Our abattoir now processes Australia’s widest range of species, so the flexibility that offers along with the plant’s capabilities means the opportunities are wide ranging,” he said.
“Castle Estate is vertically integrated from paddock to plate and is supported by a modern e-commerce platform, as well as pet food production and pet treat manufacturing capabilities.”
“The decision to offer the abattoir for potential buyers comes with a sense of pride.
“The hard work is done and our family is ready to see the fruit of that labor continue under new ownership.”
Mr Castle said the family was vested in finding a buyer who would benefit from the opportunities the facility offered that larger abattoirs could not.
“There’s the variety of species to consider, but also smaller meat producers are being turned away from larger abattoirs and there is still a huge need for farmers to be able to get small consignments processed,” he said.
“Obviously the export capability is also very significant.”
“This is a unique opportunity to secure a fully accredited and licensed processing space, in what has become a very restrictive market.”
Castle Estate is located on the banks of Lake Purrumbete and consists of both the abattoir processing facility and 700 acres of prime agricultural land with an active dairy operation.
“The site is ideal for full vertical integration, with the farmland attached to the facility perfectly suited for cattle, lamb and other primary production,” Mr Castle said
Offers for the purchase of both operations, or the abattoir on its own, will be considered.
The sale will be handled by Oxley Capital Partners via expression of interest.