Not content with grazing a third of the total Australian beef herd in their region, Rockhampton folk have also erected six bull statues between the southern and northern entrances to the city. Small wonder Rockhampton is known as the Beef Capital of Australia.



Yet while the same good folk are equally proud of this huge mass of beef on the hoof, there is palpable dissension in this usually close-knit society on which cattle subsequently produce the best steak - grass or grain-fed beasts.

Asked his opinion about the merits of either feeding process, Mr Peter Prim, the manager of the Gracemere Saleyards, which has a through-put of nearly 150,000 head of beef cattle per year was succinct, “I would not give you two bob for grain-fed beef.”

Others in the industry are more reluctant to voice their preference so publicly.

However, during my visits to feed lots with their rows of concrete troughs and to cattle properties with herds grazing on river flats, I was subjected to convincing and predictable arguments from the respective cattle producers in favour of their own fattening process.

But, in this age of food and wine tourism, can the visitor to this bovine heaven on the Tropic of Capricorn expect to enjoy a delicious, mouth-watering steak from the local paddock?

While not always the case in past years, the answer is now good news, with some local restaurants and hotels in Rockhampton adhering diligently to the "paddock to the plate" principle that is now driving growth in regional tourism throughout Australia.

The mantra for Rockhampton could be, "This is the Beef Capital of Australia, so expect to eat the best beef."

The iconic Queensland hotel, The Great Western, with its wide verandahs, timber and tin construction and rodeo ring out the back, serves a fine rib-on-the-bone, while the Flame Char Restaurant at the Cambridge Hotel serves local aged beef supplied as Acton Super Beef which is grown by grazier, Graeme Acton.

New man in town during the past few years and now manager of the Coffee House Apartments, Café & Wine Bar on William Street, Grant Cassidy, asks the important question on behalf of his regular clientele and visitors to Rockhampton expecting a consistently good steak, “How do we know that what we are serving, how can we basically say we can guarantee it?”

Taste, Tenderness & Consistency
This criteria is focussed on TTC: Taste, Tenderness and Consistency, whether it be grass-fed orgrain-fed beef. Purely personal preference for one or theother feeding method is subject to on-going debate.

Though some factors in Rockhampton are a given, as Grant explains, “It's because we know the origins. We know where it is coming from, or how many days it has been on grain and that really assists us at the other end of the market - the kitchen.

“Half the battle is getting a good cut of meat, the second half is being able to cook it properly.”

Fortunately for steak aficionados, Grant and his expert team of chefs at the Coffee House now have both angles covered. Grass-fed Brangus beef is mainly sourced from the nearby Kabra area, while 120 daygrain-fed,Teys Gold Beef Droughtmasters come from a Duaringa cattle property and then through the Inverrio feed lot.

So next time you are in Rockhampton, you can be sure of a great steak whether that be from grass or grain-fed cattle, and that's no bull!

Travel Access
Right in the heart of Central Queensland, Rockhampton is a vibrant city with heritage precincts and the nearby coastal islands. Situated on Highway One linking Brisbane and Cairns, Rockhampton is now a destination in its own right with easy access to the Gemfields and Outback.