Taupō’s newest butchery, Heritage Meat, is rewriting the script for how we think about and buy meat. This isn’t just a place to pick up dinner - it’s about understanding the provenance, passion, and people behind every cut.
For owner Huw Taylor, a Taupō local with deep Welsh roots, food has always been his passion. A self-described foodie, Huw has lived in New Zealand for more than 27 years, drawing on both his heritage and his love for culinary storytelling to create something truly special.
Huw’s journey began two years ago with a straightforward idea: to supply exceptional beef to restaurants across the North Island. Heritage Meat started as a niche wholesale business, delivering cuts with a distinct difference - beef inspired by the Spanish tradition of aging cattle longer, resulting in unparalleled depth of flavour and character.
“Our beef is a celebration of provenance,” explains Huw. “It’s not just about exceptional taste but the story behind the animals- their breed, age, the land they’re raised on, and the farmers who dedicate their lives to producing the best.”
The approach has struck a chord with chefs at some of New Zealand’s finest restaurants, steakhouses, and luxury lodges. It wasn’t just the quality that set Heritage Meat apart; it was the authenticity. “Chefs wanted to connect with the story of the meat on their menus - knowing its origins, understanding the farmers, and the regions and farming practices involved,” says Huw.
This commitment to storytelling laid the foundation for a new chapter. Huw began to wonder why this same connection to provenance wasn’t more readily available to home cooks and families.
“There’s a massive disconnect when it comes to buying meat at the supermarket or even some butcheries,” he says. “We don’t know the breed, the farm, or the people behind it, and yet these are the things that give our food its soul.”
Six short weeks ago, an opportunity to secure a new lease on a butchery premises here in Taupo presented itself.
“It’s fair to say that a retail butchery wasn’t part of my business plan,” says Huw. “However, it took less than half an hour to decide that it was an opportunity too good to pass up!
“It’s my understanding that the Rifle Range Road premises has been a butchery, under a variety of names, for half a century. It has real heritage of its own. We bring new ownership, new butchers, and a new direction.”
The butchery’s initial range will include: lamb from the Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago’s Royalburn Station; Harmony Pork from Canterbury; Pokeno Bacon; Duncan Venison from the Western Bays; free-range chicken from Waitoa and Bostock; Speckle Park and Southern Stations Wagyu beef. Heritage’s own Vintage Beef will arrive early in the New Year.
Huw is also passionate about introducing global flavours through his house-made smallgoods.
“I want to roll this authentic storytelling into our smallgoods, using recipes from across the globe. Proper Cumberland and Lincolnshire sausages from England, Chorizo from Spain and Argentina, Merguez from North Africa, Pork varieties from France and Italy. I really want to offer Taupō something special and authentic,” he says.
With the butchery’s opening set for later this month, Huw looks forward to building connections with locals and visitors alike.
“Getting everything ready for summer and barbecue season, with a diverse range of provenanced meats, sausages, burgers, and kebabs, has been both challenging and fun,” says Huw. “I accidentally own a butcher’s shop. But maybe it was meant to be!”
Heritage Meat is situated at 63 Rifle Range Road and will open to the public on Wednesday 18th December.
