Established in 2002 - Chef Ready Meats is Hamilton’s leading meat wholesaler / distributor meat specialist.
Owned and operated by Warren Klein & Graeme Pilkington and trading under Pilkington Klein Limited, the Company’s reputation for quality fresh product grew quickly and this core fundamental value still exists today; customers know that when they receive products from Chef Ready Meats they are receiving the highest quality.
Between Warren and Graeme they have over 40 years’ experience within the NZ meat industry specializing in processing of Beef, Lamb, Pigs and Chicken along with small goods. Warren and Graeme merged two of the Waikato’s success story companies in Dec of 2013.
Graeme has worked in the meat industry since 1997 and has managed some of New Zealand’s largest meat processing facilities. Having owned Chef Ready Meats since 2012, Graeme has enjoyed investing his knowledge, experience and enthusiasm into the Company and enhancing processes and quality. His goal is to ensure Chef Ready Meats remains a market leader in New Zealand food service.
Warren has a long history managing operations and leading teams in the demanding export Lamb and Veal industries. Warren has vast knowledge in meat processing and operations management. Warren purchase Dinsdale Poultry & Seafood in 2006, primarily a secondary poultry processor, then grew this company to be a market leader of poultry products and developed a ready to eat smoked chicken range branded as Klein’s.
In 2010 Dinsdale Poultry & Seafood was rebranded to Lifestyle Meats a gourmet retail and wholesale butcher in Dinsdale, Hamilton. In 2013 Lifestyle Meats and Chef Ready Meats merged creating a complex meat wholesaler and gourmet retailer lead by two very passionate industry leaders
Our Lamb, Beef and Deer are fed on a pastoral diet of grass and in a temperate climate, which eliminates the need for artificial feed and housing. Stock are sourced from the Waikato and King Country regions, which have high rainfall, a low density population, pristine waters and fertile pastures –which provides us with a clear advantage when it comes to producing quality.
Our meat is of a premium standard with added benefits – grass-fed animals are leaner than grain-fed. Grass is also lower in calories and higher in Vitamin E and Omega3 essential fatty acids. Our Lamb, Beef and Deer meats are aged for 21 days, ensuring cuts for the New Zealand restaurants and the home chef are presented to you perfectly.
Our Poultry and pork is sourced from Market leaders who abide by strict animal welfare codes.
Food safety is a priority for Chef Ready Meats. Operating under the Food Safety HACCP program, Chef Ready Meats applies stringent food safety measures and maintains high levels of food hygiene and traceability standards. This has become increasingly important in the red meat sector.
Today Chef Ready Meats employees 28 staff, even though the operation has grown in recent years, our goal remains the same: DIFOTIS (Delivered In Full, On Time, In Specification).
We're always looking for more ways to better serve our customers, and are excited to be developing some new initiatives. Our sales representatives are visiting the Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Coromandel as part of our overall plan to ensure prompt deliveries to our customers’ door steps.
Warren & Graeme are passionate about product development for our many loyal customers and are always ready to help to develop products that present savings and market advantage for the Hospitality industry. Chef Ready Meats produces a wide range of small goods and has won Bronze and Silver for their Champagne Ham in the NZ Bacon & Ham awards. Chef Ready manufactures a gourmet range of award winning Hams, Bacons, Sausages and Smoked Chicken.
Chef Ready Meats will continue to promote superior, locally sourced red meat and promote our “pasture to plate” way of thinking and our sound business plan, the team remain optimistic that the Company will always stay ahead of the game.
We believe we are the best in our field, so if you have any questions in regard to our operation, please contact us directly.
Contact us for quality meats