After buying their Te Mata farm in 2023, local farmers Emma and Jason Turkilsen began looking for a way to bring customers closer to the source of their food. Three months ago, they launched a farm-direct beef and lamb business, offering traceable grass-fed meat delivered to customers, and stocked locally at Te Uku Store.
How long have you been farming for and what is the history of the farm?
Farming has always been in our blood. We both grew up on family farms before shepherding in various parts of New Zealand. We bought our Te Mata farm in 2023. Before us, it was owned by another farming family for many years, and we’re proud to continue caring for the land while making ongoing improvements for future generations.
Tell us about your new business and how you decided to diversify your farm operation.
We wanted to reconnect people with where their food comes from. After seeing inconsistent quality in supermarkets, we decided to sell our own traceable, farm-direct beef and lamb.
Our cattle are predominantly PiedAngus, combining Angus and Piedmontese genetics to produce beef with exceptional tenderness, marbling and flavour, while our lamb is raised on our Waikato farm. Every box is vacuum packed, fully traceable and delivered directly from our farm to our customers, giving families confidence in exactly where their food comes from.
What have you achieved so far and what is important to you about your story?
Although we’ve only been operating for three months, our first launch sold out in just three days. Since then, we’ve welcomed many repeat customers who now order regularly, and we’re proud to have our products stocked at Te Uku Store, making our farm-direct range even more accessible to the local community.
For us, success isn’t just about selling boxes—it’s about reconnecting people with quality New Zealand farming and providing premium, grass-fed meat that families can trust.
What kind of response have you had from customers and the community?
The support has been incredible. The Raglan community has really got behind us, with many customers now ordering every month. We’ve received wonderful feedback about the quality, flavour, variety and personal service.
One review that really summed up what we’re trying to achieve said:
“I’d forgotten what real meat tasted like – so fresh and totally different from store bought. The sausages are just like I had as a kid. Very cost effective and it works.”
Comments like this mean the world to us because they show customers can genuinely taste the difference. Building those relationships and seeing people come back time and time again has been the most rewarding part of the journey.
Do you have plans for expansion?
Absolutely. We’re always looking at ways to grow while maintaining the quality and values that make our business special.
Our long-term goal is to process and butcher our meat on the farm before opening a small farm shop where customers can buy directly from the source. We also want to continue expanding our online store and farm-direct deliveries, making it easier for more New Zealand families to enjoy premium, grass-fed meat while knowing exactly where it came from.
We’re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve received so far and are excited to see where the journey takes us.
Burgess Peaks Beef & Lamb Boxes
burgesspeaksbeefandlambboxes.co.nz
hello@burgesspeaksbeefandlambboxes.co.nz
