Kiwi Angus burger lift lauded

Wairarapa angus beef farmers are welcoming the launch of a new McDonald's Kiwi Angus burger, with the new offering set to boost the record sales of premium beef they have seen in recent months.

Tararua angus beef farmer Bryan Bendall says the sale of angus beef has risen since AngusPure went into partnership with McDonald's.

"The new burger will absolutely drive sales up again as it did when they released the Grand Angus, Mighty Angus, and Blat."

He says the taste and texture of angus beef is what sets it apart from other beef.

"The taste and texture of angus beef makes it much better than other beef, that's why those McDonald's burgers are so good. Angus beef is the front end product from prime cattle."

McDonald's is a key customer to New Zealand's angus beef industry, having purchased 1.7 million kg of local angus beef since teaming up with AngusPure and launching a new premium burger range two years ago. And it's not just angus that is in hot demand, with McDonald's New Zealand having purchased a total of 5.5 million kg of Kiwi beef over the past year.

The Kiwi Angus, along with the famous Kiwiburger, which has been brought back on the Macca's menu for a limited time, form part of a Kiwi-inspired menu.

The new Kiwi-inspired angus burger consists of a 100 per cent angus patty, egg, beetroot, tomato, gourmet lettuce, red onion, mayo, ketchup and mustard, all on a sourdough bun, and is available at McDonald's restaurants nationwide for $7.90 and for a limited time.