'The best kept secret in the beef industry'
Discover the heritage breed behind Nannas Farm's exceptional beef. Learn about the history, characteristics, and superior quality of Belted Galloway cattle and what makes their grass-fed, naturally marbled beef so flavourful, tender, and healthy. Raised regeneratively for the best beef you've ever tasted.
Unique characteristics of the Beltie
Belted Galloways are a fascinating breed of cattle! Often called "Oreo cows" because of their distinctive white belt wrapped around their middle, these beautiful animals originated in the Galloway region of southwestern Scotland.
Their story goes back to the 16th century, when the hardy Galloway cattle were already well-established in Scotland. The distinctive belted pattern emerged when Galloway cattle were crossbred with Dutch Belted cattle (also known as Lakenvelder) sometime in the 17th or 18th century.
They're considered a "moderate-framed" breed - not too big, not too small. The cows typically weigh around 500-600 kg, while the bulls are heftier at 800-900 kg (about ⅔ the weight of an angus). While they are typically black with a white belt, they can have stunning red, or dun-colored bodies.
What's really remarkable about "Belties" is their meat quality. They tend to produce lean, well-marbled beef with excellent flavor. This is partly because they've got excellent feed conversion efficiency - basically, they're really good at turning varied forage into protein! Also, the harsh Scottish winters resulted in the breed developing a unique double coat - a fluffy undercoat and a longer, coarser outer layer. This heavy coat results in a different fat distribution to other breeds ie the much sought after marbling.
In Australia, they've found quite a comfortable niche. While they're not as numerous as breeds like Angus or Hereford, they've become popular with smaller-scale farmers and those focusing on sustainable farming. Our climate in the Southern Highlands might seem quite different from their Scottish homeland, but Belties have proven themselves remarkably adaptable.
As beef cattle farmers, we appreciate our herd for several reasons:
- They're excellent mothers with good milk production
- They rarely have calving difficulties
- They're generally docile and easy to handle
- They're very efficient grazers and can maintain good condition on rough pasture
- They're naturally polled (hornless), which is a big plus for handling safety