FROZEN MEAT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 28, 16 January 1911, Page 9

FROZEN MEAT.

THE GENESIS OF THE TRADE

A sidelight on the genesis of the frozen meat trade was thrown by Mr. M. C. Orbell in some remarks made yesterday at the annual meeting of the British-New Zealand Meat and Produce Company at Christchurch last week. Mr. Orbell said he desired to relate an incident of the early days connected with the export of meat, an incident to which he did not remember reference ever having been made. “An Australian gentleman. Mr. Tallerman, in 1868.” Mr. Orbell proceeded, "sent several experimental shipments Home upon his own account, believing that he had discovered a process by which the poorer classes in England might obtain fresh meat at a cheap rate. Like a great many more at that time, I was interested in the question of what we were going to do with our surplus stock, and wrote Mr. Tallerman to enquire if he would inform me the process he adopted. He, wrote me in reply a long letter relating his anticipations and treatment of the meat. His method was very simple. He cut the sheep into quarters, placed them in barrels, which he then filled with melted fat taken from the sheep. The head of the barrel was then fixed, and in this manner may be said to have been hermetically sealed. He made several shipments, which arrived in sound condition, but, owing to the unsavoury appearance of the meat when taken from the barrels, the experiment was not a success, and after spending a considerable sum of money he had to abandon the project. I think it worthy of mention, because I think that it was not only the first attempt to send Home our surplus stock in a fresh condition, but also because the incident probably had its influence i:i drawing sheep-owners’ attention to the immense importance of discovering a means by which they could export meat in a condition sufficiently attractive to meet the demands of the British public.”