Last week, Bindaree Food Group proudly returned to Casino Beef Week, highlighting our ongoing commitment to the Australian beef industry and the communities that power it.

Headlining the Industry Dinner

As naming sponsor of the 2025 Casino Beef Week Industry Dinner, Bindaree welcomed more than 90 industry enthusiasts for an evening of insight, connection, and community spirit.

The evening featured a compelling panel discussion moderated by the Hon Larry Anthony AO, with Bindaree’s CEO Andrew McDonald, and General Sales Manager Yuki Qian, and Stone X Group’s Ripley Atkinson. Together, they tackled key issues including global trade shifts, evolving customer demands, and the importance of a strong domestic supply chain.

“Our industry is going through rapid change, from tariff shifts to changing customer expectations,” said Andrew McDonald. “Bringing leaders together to have frank, forward-looking conversations is essential, and Casino Beef Week is the perfect platform.”

Making a Local Impact

A highlight of the night was our record-breaking community benefit auction, led by local auctioneer Allen Ramsay. Thanks to generous attendees, over $5,000 was raised for Casino-based Momentum Collective Neighbourhood Centre, supporting critical services – including domestic violence support, disability services, and housing assistance.

“This kind of impact is why we do what we do,” said Andrew McDonald. “It’s a privilege to support organisations that are changing lives right here in our community.”

Celebrating Paddock-to-Plate

The dinner also shone a spotlight on our Bindaree Butchery program, a 70-Day Grain Fed program that reflects our commitment to quality, consistency, and traceability. From sourcing yearling cattle across the country, to finishing at Myola Feedlot, and processing at the Casino Food Company, it’s a program built on true paddock-to-plate values.

We were proud to host several of our Bindaree Butchery customers from across QLD, TAS, SA, and WA, each of who shared their unique story on camera – highlighting what Bindaree’s customer-focused model means to them. Watch their story below.

Mechanical Bull Riding and Mental Health Awareness

The Bindaree Mechanical Bull made a much-anticipated return at the Super Saturday Street Festival, drawing crowds and laughter despite the rain. More importantly, it helped raise over $700 for Beyond Blue, supporting mental health awareness in rural and regional communities.

As an official business supporter of Beyond Blue, Bindaree is proud to help bring vital mental health conversations to the forefront of our industry – because our farmers, producers and rural workers deserve strong support, too. Click here to help as reach our $10,000 fundraising goal!

Bindaree Food Group today announced a new partnership with Meat Business Women Australia at the Annual Meat Business Women Conference in Brisbane, a strategic step in our commitment to building a more inclusive, connected and future-focused meat industry.

Through this partnership, Bindaree joins a global network of industry leaders working to elevate diversity and leadership capability across the meat supply chain. Team members across Bindaree’s operations will gain greater access to mentoring, leadership pathways, and cross-industry engagement opportunities.

Andrew McDonald, Chief Executive Officer of Bindaree Food Group, said the decision reflects the company’s long-term people strategy.

“Sustainable success in our industry depends on strong, diverse leadership,” McDonald said. “Partnering with Meat Business Women is part of our commitment to backing our people and ensuring we’re creating opportunities for talent to grow, from the processing floor to the boardroom.”

Speaking at the event, Rebecca Kelson, General Manager of Retail Operations at Bindaree, highlighted the practical value of the partnership.

“This isn’t just a symbolic gesture. It’s a step toward real capability-building,” Kelson said. “We want to ensure our people have the right networks, support and visibility to lead with confidence and contribute meaningfully to the future of the industry.”

The Meat Business Women partnership adds to Bindaree’s broader focus on workforce development, innovation, and building resilience across our fully integrated supply chain with people at the centre of our progress.

About Meat Business Women
Founded in 2015, Meat Business Women is the global professional network for women working across the meat industry, recognised by the United Nations for its efforts to improve sustainability and grow the pipeline of female talent in this traditionally male-dominated field. With strategic support from major supply chain partners, Meat Business Women continues to champion diversity and innovation within the meat industry. Click Here to learn more.

About Bindaree Food Group
Bindaree Food Group is one of Australia’s leading meat processing and supply chain companies, operating across livestock procurement, processing, sales and distribution. With a focus on quality, innovation and people, Bindaree is helping shape the future of Australian red meat, from paddock to plate.

Back for seconds: Bindaree Food Group returns to Casino to serve up another unmissable Industry Dinner.

We’re proud to announce our return as the presenting sponsor of the 2025 Casino Beef Week Industry Dinner.

Taking place on Thursday 29 May at the Clydesdale Motel Steakhouse, the renowned Industry Dinner will again bring together leaders, producers and local patrons to celebrate the beef industry that drives the Northern New South Wales agricultural trade.

After a sizzling debut as Presenting Sponsor last year, Bindaree has an unwavering appetite to return in 2025.

“The energy, community and ambition at last year’s dinner was outstanding, and we knew we’d be back for a second helping,” says Andrew McDonald, Bindaree Food Group CEO. “The Industry Dinner is more than just good food – it’s about bringing together the best minds in beef, sparking conversation, celebrating success and planning for the future.”

Casino has been a foundational part of Bindaree’s heritage and operations since 1981, playing a key role in both service and production.

In recent years, Bindaree has reinforced its commitment to the region through strategic investments, including a three-year service contract with the Casino Co-op and the launch of Bindaree Butchery, an exclusive wholesale, 70 Day Grain fed product coming out of the Casino Co-op since 2023.

The Industry Dinner will feature a panel of notable industry guests, with speakers and ticket sale dates set to be announced soon as Thursday 29 May approaches.

At Bindaree Food Group, International Women’s Day is more than just a date on the calendar, it’s a reminder of our ongoing drive to build an inclusive and equitable workplace. This year’s theme, #AccelerateAction, is reflected in the steps we’re taking to champion gender equality across our business and the wider industry.

Reflecting on Our International Women’s Day Initiatives

#AccelerateAction Webinar

Following our successful International Women’s Day webinar on March 17th, we’re excited to share some of the highlights and celebrate our progress. This year’s webinar featured insights from:

• Stacey McKenna: Australian Chair of Meat Business Women, Stacey shared her extensive industry experience and passion for elevating women’s roles while driving greater inclusivity.
• Salliann Powell: A physiotherapy practice manager and mother of three, Salliann gave us a glimpse into her extraordinary journey to become the first Australian to complete all five Racing the Planet desert ultramarathons in a single year—all while raising funds for the Nerve Connection Foundation.
• Zac McInerney: Our General Manager – Grainfed Supply, Zac reflected on his experience in the beef industry, spoke about leading a team of predominantly women at Bindaree, and his commitment as a leader to accelerate action on inclusion and diversity.

Some key takeaways from our Webinar included:

• From a national perspective, why gender equality is so important including the benefits such as human rights, economics, societal and profitability for business’s.
• The main factors that impact gender equality including the gender pay gap, workplace bias, leadership representation, care work disparity, harassment, gender norms and domestic and family violence.
• What key changes are happening in our government and from a legislation perspective that impact out business and industry (including WGEA reporting).
• Statistics and data from our industry, including that woman only represent 33.5% of the meat industry, the goal for the Food Business Charter is to reach 40% female representation by 2035. Further the industry is seeing little improvement in the first -line manager, skilled and unskilled level of work.
• Practical tips for our businesses and individuals on what they can do to achieve better gender equality including:
  • Appointing a senior diversity and inclusion lead
  • Benchmark your business stats against industry averages
  • Building an inclusive culture
• It takes everyone, men and women, to achieve genuine change when it comes to gender equality.
• The importance of recognising both men and women’s caring responsibilities and priorities.
• The importance of supporting women and their careers, particularly when it comes to taking maternity leave and re-entering the workforce.
• Ensuring not to be gender bias when recruiting and promoting, it should be about the best candidate, who is the most competent.
• Some great advice when it comes to taking on a challenge such as “get out of your comfort zone” and the “importance of setting small goals”.
• What Bindaree is doing to #accelerateaction, reflecting on what we have in place, including our Gender Equality Strategy, Paid Parental Leave Policy, Domestic Violence Leave, Respectful Workplace Plan and flexible work opportunities. We discussed what was next for Bindaree in regards to gender equality, including making a clear commitment, engage with our workforce, continue to communicate and educate our leaders and workforce, incorporate gender equality into all areas of our business and in general – a commitment to continuous improvement.

Empowering Women in the Meat Industry

Bindaree is committed to driving meaningful change in an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated. As Rebecca Kelson, our General Manager of Retail Operations, highlighted in a recent interview with Australian Meat Processor Corporation’s (AMPC) More to Meat campaign:

“Leaders need to commit to clear strategies that support gender equality, including equal pay and career pathways for women.”

Rebecca oversees Bindaree Food Solutions in Burleigh Heads, QLD, our retail-ready site supported by Bindaree’s processing plants. As part of our leadership team, she advocates alongside her colleagues for creating opportunities for women and values mentorship and coaching in supporting career growth.

At Bindaree, gender equality isn’t just a conversation – it’s an action. Policies such as Paid Parental Leave, Flexible Work Arrangements, and our Respectful Workplace commitment help create an environment where everyone can succeed. And in 2025, we’re launching Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committees to ensure these conversations turn into lasting change.

Recognising Our 2025 Gender Equality Champions

A diverse and inclusive workplace starts with the people who champion it every day. This year, we invited our team to recognise those making a difference in gender equality at Bindaree. We recognised winners from each site for their contribution in commitment, impact and leadership in promoting gender equality everyday at Bindaree.

Driving Change Year-Round

Our commitment to #AccelerateAction doesn’t stop on International Women’s Day. We’re proud to support initiatives like Meat Business Women and will be the lunch sponsor for the upcoming 2025 Meat Business Women conference. These partnerships help drive real change and highlight the vital role women play in shaping our industry.

At Bindaree, we know there’s always more to do. But as we reflect on this year’s International Women’s Day, one thing is clear – we’re committed to building a workplace where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, not just today, but every day.

Pictured below: Stacey McKenna, Salliann Powell, Zac McInerney.