Jacobus Castricum migrated from Holland to Australia in 1952, with a family history in the meat business dating back a century. In 1954 he bought a butcher’s shop in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong, and a year later a small domestic abattoir. This abattoir is the basis of the Castricum Brothers’ business as it still operates today. Jacobus’s sons – Peter, Jack, Con, Martin and Theo – still own the Castricum Brothers business today. Theo and Martin are actively involved in the day-to-day running of the processing plant; the others sit on the board of the company. Martin’s son Matthew is one of three full-time livestock buyers, travelling throughout the south-east of Australia grading and selecting lambs for the Castricum label. Peter’s son Gary is the company’s managing director. It’s a 100-per-cent family-owned business.
Lambing seasons vary from north to south of the country, and Matthew travels as far north as Dubbo in New South Wales and west to Mount Gambier in South Australia to secure the best lambs for distribution. This is also the way they secure a consistent supply of lamb all year round. The responsibility for the superior quality of Castricum lamb starts with the livestock buyers, then, according to Theo and Martin, the secret is in a good pasture. ‘You can always get a scrawny lamb from good genes,’ Martin explains. As the end result is priced according to weight, a good ‘dressed weight’ (the term used for a processed animal’s weight), coupled with impressive muscle-to-fat ratio, is imperative.
The Castricum Brothers label guarantees consistently superior cuts of lamb, facilitated by thorough grading techniques and quality standards. Breeds that make the best eating, according to the Castricums, include Poll Dorset Cross, Corriedale, White Suffolk, Hampshire Down and Border Leicester Cross.
(from left to right): Martin Castricum with his son Mathew and brother Theo; RIGHT: Alan Fox.