Morsels & The Shelf Life

WagyuEdge 25: Attending the Australian Wagyu Association Conference

WagyuEdge is the annual conference of the Australian Wagyu Association. The 2025 conference was held in Perth, between the Perth Conference and Exhibition Centre and Optus Stadium. I attended the first day of the three-day event, which attracted over 500 delegates from around Australia and overseas.

The evening program included the 2025 Wagyu Branded Beef Competition (WBBC) award ceremony and an “Elite Wagyu Sale” which attracted over $810,000 in sales.

MC for the event was Jess Pryles, Australian-born chef, cookbook author, TV star and all-round BBQ expert who now resides in Austin, Texas.

Topics covered during the conference sessions included:

  • innovations and technologies
  • food security and impacts on luxury products
  • global trade and economics
  • market dynamics
  • nutrition and feedlotting
  • seizing opportunities
  • trends in Akaushi (Japanese Red, one of the four Wagyu breeds)
  • future Wagyu leaders
  • a look at whatโ€™s coming that will revolutionise the industry

Given current world events, it was particularly interesting to hear about the potential effects of the tarrifs being put into place by the USA. Given that the USA makes up just 5% of Australia’s wagyu export market, the impact on the industry is not as much as the media would have you believe.

Other factors, such as attempts from vegan extremists to make the entire industry untenable, were perhaps more disturbing. It’s interesting to attend industry-focused events such as these, as it gives a completely different perspective to what is normally seen by the retail consumer or diner.

See more photos from the conference below.

Interview With Scott de Bruin

During the day, I sat down for a brief chat with Scott de Bruin, Managing Director of the De Bruin Group, which includes multi-award winning Mayura Station, home to one of the largest privately owned full-blood Wagyu cattle operations in Australia.

Scott is also CEO and Chairman of de Bruin Securities and a previous President and Chairman of the Australian Wagyu Association. On the final night of the conference, he was presented with the prestigious Honorary Life Membership Award by the Association.

Read my interview with Scott here.

WBBC Awards Dinner

The first day ended with a dinner event at Optus Stadium featuring the Wagyu Branded Beef Competition (WBBC) award ceremony, crowning Australia’s best Wagyu. A total of 91 world-class entries were judged by an expert panel of eight renowned food and beef industry specialists from across Australia.

This yearโ€™s Grand Champion, Sanchoku Pure Wagyu by Stanbroke, captivated the judging panel with its “superior caramelised grilled aroma, rich umami flavour, silky melting texture and subtle buttery popcorn notes.” Judges praised it for its “exceptional balance of richness and tenderness, delivering an unparalleled Wagyu experience.”

The evening commenced with a tasting of freshly-grilled Wagyu, followed by a sit-down awards dinner. See photos from the evening below.

(images : Morsels)

Thanks to Ellen McIver from C7EVEN Communications for the invitation to the conference, and for looking after me on the day.

Add comment

Advertisement