The 2025 NH Foods Angus Youth Roundup was truly one for the history books! Held from the 8th to the 12th of January at the Australian Equine and Livestock Events Centre (AELEC), the event welcomed a record-breaking 215 participants and their families, making it the biggest Roundup yet. As the naming rights sponsor for the third year, NH Foods was proud to support this vibrant and educational event, connecting with the future leaders of the beef industry.

Young cattle enthusiasts from across Australia gathered for the event, with 159 attendees hailing from New South Wales, 24 from Queensland, 14 from Victoria, 12 from South Australia, three from Tasmania, one from Western Australia and one from the Australian Capital Territory. 

The week kicked off on Wednesday with an exciting opening ceremony. Our brand partner, chef Jason Roberts, delivered an inspiring welcome speech that set the tone for a fun few days ahead. He then joined participants in the crowd-favourite Barnyard Olympics!

Thursday was our NH Foods ‘Joy of Eating Day,’ a jam-packed program of interactive and educational sessions led by our HR, plant, feedlot, and Marketing teams. The day began with the ‘Beef Up Your Career’ session, where participants were introduced to career pathways within NH Foods and the red meat industry. Our HR team shared valuable tips on resume writing, whether cover letters are necessary, and acing job interviews.

A standout highlight of the day was the Beyond Beef Challenge. Corey from the Oakey team and Jaz from Wingham held captive audiences with their session on beef by-products and our zero-waste practices. Participants loved identifying beef cuts on “Big Bruce” and learning how to make boot polish from beef tallow in a hands-on demonstration.

Meanwhile, Ed, Bri, and Sharon from the Whyalla Beef team had younger participants building fold-up trucks to “dispatch” mini cows, while older groups tackled real-world tasks like preparing mock NVDs and Truck Pen-Up Sheets. It was a fun and educational way to learn the logistics of the beef supply chain.

Creativity and teamwork were the themes at the NH Foods Beef Tank session, where participants put on their Marketing and Sales caps to promote Angus Reserve black angus beef to chef Jason Roberts. Younger groups designed vibrant posters, while older groups delivered dynamic pitches to our panel of judges. The two winning teams were awarded prize bags during the evening’s cooking demo.

After a busy day, Jason Roberts took centre stage with a live cooking demonstration, preparing a recipe for Beef Cheek Nachos which was then enjoyed by all for dinner – it was the perfect way to wrap up a day jam-packed full of learning and fun.

The NH Foods Ringside Lounge remained a popular gathering spot throughout the entirety of the event, offering parents, participants, and spectators a prime view of the action going on in the arena.

Rounding out a big week was the Saturday night Gala Dinner. NH Foods team members Nadine and Gavin joined the celebrations, where guests were treated to a beef-tastic menu featuring beef skewers, beef tarts, cheesy beef balls, and beef cold-cut platters.

NH Foods is immensely proud to have supported this dynamic and educational event for the third year. Supporting and nurturing the growth of the future of our industry is a cause very close to our hearts and we look forward to continuing to deliver the Joy of Eating to the next generation.