Q. Do you home deliver?
YES! We deliver to suburbs all over Melbourne from Tuesday - Saturday. We offer free delivery for orders $99 and over, with next day delivery available for orders placed before 12 noon. To check your eligibility for delivery simply pop one or more items into your cart and proceed to the second screen of checkout to view your options.
Q. What is free range?
Free range means that for no period of time, have the animals been refused access to fully open air, and natural open pasture. The term also dictates certain stocking densitites which must not be breached. Free range is natural.
Q. Do you offer Gift Cards?
We do have gift cards available for purchase via our online store. They are only redeemable online (they cannot be redeemed in-store), but can be used for both store pickup or delivery. You can find them on our Gift Cards page.
Q. Do you stock Halal or Kosher meat?
No. We are not Halal or Kosher certified.
Q. Do you offer wholesale?
We currently provide wholesale to a limited number of like minded businesses who share our passion for free range, high welfare produce. Because of our rigorous selection standards, we can't compete on price when comparing to conventional produce, so we ask that you keep this in mind before submitting an enquiry. Our minimum order value for wholesale (after trade discount) is $250. This would also be the minimum for any delivery. If you are interested in sourcing free range, high welfare produce from Cannings for your business, please get in touch at [email protected] with your expression of interest (please include the products you are interested in as well as quantity).
Q. Do you offer store pickup (click and collect) as well as delivery through the online store?
Absolutely! When checking out online, you'll have the option of selecting delivery or store pickup.
Q. Are your meats GMO free?
It is common in Australia for commercial feeds to contain a mix of GMO and non-GMO ingredients without necessarily differentiating between them. For this reason, it is difficult to say with certainty whether species that receive a feed supplement as part of their diet such as pork and poultry are GMO free. Some producers use specific GMO free feeds - these include Ora King Salmon and Yapunyah Meadow Grazed Chickens. Beef and lamb producers located in Tassie are also GMO free (as Tasmania is completely free from GMOs). Beef and lamb from other areas of Australia aren't guaranteed to be 100% GMO free, however most likely will not have any GMOs in their diet given that they are both grass fed and finished.
Q. Do you sell organic meat?
No! All of our produce is free range, hormone and antibiotic free, but not certified organic. Just because something is organic, doesn't guarantee the highest standard of animal welfare. Our priority is welfare, and clean, natural farming practices. Because we are NOT organic, we are much more affordable.
Q. Are your animals slaughtered humanely?
Whenever I am asked this, I feel it's important to first raise the question; is there such a thing as "humane slaughter"? I figure, that in a world where there's definitely such a thing as "inhumane slaughter", then the way animals are slaughtered in the four main abattoirs we receive meat from, must surely be a true definition of humane slaughter. These facilities are very well equipped and designed to minimise animal stress, while guaranteeing a fast, stress free and professional kill. In slaughter, the fact of the matter is; the animal must be stunned (rendered unconscious), and must be bled to death. I wish there was another way to put it. It is important to know, that at the four abattoirs we buy from, the animals never see their fellow animals get slaughtered before themselves. There are double-doors etc. which prevents this. There are occasionally rogue cases of animal cruelty in abattoirs. And we can only hope that the individuals who commit these crimes are punished accordingly and that the companies who employ them deplore the actions and constantly raise the standard of professionalism.
At Cannings, we believe that CCTV should be mandatory in all stock yards, cattle races, stunning boxes and kill floors, in every Australian abattoir, and that the footage be independently audited/reviewed. Please write to the following people and demand action: Brendan Tatham CEO of Primesafe [email protected] Jaclyn Symes Agriculture Minister [email protected]
Q. How exactly is each animal processed?
WARNING – this section contains graphic descriptions of animal slaughter
Beef:
The door opens, then the animal moves forward and enters the box. The animal does not see the stunning person above them. The stunning person then administers the stun via a captive bolt, which penetrates the skull as quick as a bullet. Once the animal drops (immediately), the side of the box opens up and the animal is hoisted up by the hind legs before its throat cut – draining of all blood (whilst fully unconscious).
Lamb:
As the lamb moves further into the race, the walls of the race become increasingly narrow, until the lamb cannot move laterally. They will just keep moving forward. Then a little flap opens up and the lamb will push it's head through the flap. The race holds the lamb in place while the stunning person applies an electric charged probe to the side of the lamb's head, which pierces the skin and stuns the lamb, rendering it unconscious. The lamb is then pulled through the doors, before having it's throat cut – draining of all blood (whilst fully unconscious).
Chicken:
Once our chickens are unloaded from the trucks and whilst still in their shipping crates they are calmed in the "dark room" (a temperature controlled room with a dark blue light where fall partially asleep). Then, they are placed on a conveyer belt (still in crates) which passes through a carbon dioxide chamber, with enough Co2 in the air to put the chicken to sleep with no stress whatsoever. After that, the chickens pass through another chamber, with a much higher concentration of Co2, which renders the chickens "permanently unconscious". It is then, the chickens are removed from their crates, hung upside down and bled out (whilst fully unconscious).
Pork:
Similar to the way the Hazeldene's chickens are rendered unconscious, pigs undergo carbon dioxide stunning. Three or four pigs enter the small room which is flushed with Co2 until they are unconscious. Then the pigs are removed from the Co2 room and hung upside down, before being bled out (whilst fully unconscious).
Q. How far must the animals travel pre-slaughter?
Chicken: <1 hour. Processed on-farm (Bendigo)
Turkey: <1 hour. Processed on-farm (Pooginagoric)
Beef: Between 1 and 3 hours of travel. Cattle is transported from northern Tasmania to Smithton, Tasmania.
Lamb: Between 1 - 12 hours of travel. Depends on seasonality. For most of the year, lambs are raised in Tasmania and processed in Corio (Vic)
Pork: 6 hours. Rokewood (Vic) to Murray Bridge (SA)
Q. What do the animals eat?
Beef: 100% grass and grass silage
Lamb: 100% grass and gras silage
Chicken: 80% grain, 20% seeds and insects from foraging
Pork: 60% grain (wheat, soy, barley), 40% leafy green veggies
Eggs: 50% grain, 50% forage (seeds, insects and grubs).
Q. Do you use preservatives in the meat?
All of our unmarinated and marinated meats are preservative free. We have developed some fantastic marinades, and have now found a supplier who makes awesome spice mixes that are preservative and "number" free. Having said that, our sausages and burgers do have preservative 223, and our home made smallgoods (ham, bacon, smoked chicken, turkey etc) have a very small amount of sodium nitrate to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria. EXCEPT for our Paleo range, where there is no use of preservatives, and as a result, are sold from our freezer section.
Q. Why does your mince discolour in the middle?
Mince that is bright red on the outside and grey in the middle is normal and healthy. If it's not discolouring in the middle, there is a preservative in the mince. If your mince is discolouring on the outside, it has spoiled.
Q. What goes into your sausages?
I'm not sure where the uncertainty or distrust that circles around sausage fillings come from, but in all my years in the meat industry, I have only ever seen good meat go into sausages, so that's what I put into them today. Most of our sausages are made from boneless shoulder and belly meat. We also put a small amount of what we call "trim" in our snags. Trim is basically the small pieces of meat and fat that are cut off your favourite pieces, like rumps, porterhouse, chuck etc, in order for us to sell them. We trim these larger cuts to perfection, then the small pieces go into the sausages. It's good meat, but they don't represent a desired cut/portion. Once it's minced, it's awesome. A good sausage really comes down to how much fat it has, and we aim for 80% lean meat, 20% fat.
Q. Why are some chicken fillets so BIG?
Firstly, it's important to know that there are no hormones, steroids or artificial growth promoters in our free range chickens. Hazeldene's chicken feed is specifically formulated to enhance muscle yield. Secondly, our free range producer does not size-grade the chicken breasts and thighs. So we get a mix of big ones and small ones. "Ross", the particular breed of chicken that Hazeldene's produce, grow up to about 4kg in size by about 8 weeks of life. The difference in getting a 200gm breast fillet and a 400gm breast fillet is quite literally 10 days of growth.
Q. Do you donate to charity?
We support a handful of local schools and organisations, and a few of Australia's best animal welfare protection organisations. If your local organisation is in need of fundraising, please complete the Donations and Sponsorship form on our Contact Us page.
Q. Are there any employment opportunities at CANNINGS?
We are always searching for standout employees. Please email [email protected] to tell us how you your skills and experience would be a great fit for Cannings!
Q. Do you stock any farmed fish?
Our Ora King Salmon and Spring Creek Barramundi are farmed because Cannings strives to source its seafood from only the most sustainability-minded suppliers in Australia and New Zealand. It's no secret that seafood is a dwindling resource so we only choose species and production methods approved by the Australian Marine Conservation Society's Sustainability Guide. We also think that Spring Creek and Ora King are what every fish farm should strive to be like. Read more on our Sustainable Seafood page.
Q. What do the farmed fish eat?
Ora King Salmon: Ora King feed is GMO and antibiotic free, and specifically formulated to provide the fish with an optimum balance of nutrients at every stage of life. Read more here.
Spring Creek Barramundi: Spring Creek Barramundi feed is specially formulated for barramundi by nutritionists at Ridleys Aquafeed, an Australian company based in Brisbane. Read more about Ridleys Aquafeed here.
Q. How are the fish slaughtered?
Ora King Salmon is slaughtered using the ikejime method, where a spike is quickly inserted into the brain, causing immediate brain death. Spring Creek Barramundi and our wild caught seafood are slaughtered using the ice slurry method.
Q. Can your meat be frozen? How long will it last in the fridge?
Beef and Lamb: 3 days in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.
Mince: 1 day in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Poultry and Pork: 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Seafood: 2 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
Our prawns and calamari have been defrosted, so are not suitable to re-freeze.
Q. What is the best way to freeze meat and is there anything that isn't suitable for freezing?
The best way to freeze meat is to either vacuum seal prior to popping in the freezer, or to use a freezer or zip lock bag and squish all the air out of it around your meat. A tight seal will mean your meat is less likely to develop freezer burn. It can also be a good idea to freeze meat into your desired portion sizes (2 chicken breasts per bag, 500g of mince, etc.) so you can defrost as needed, rather than having to thaw a large quantity all at once. Make sure any meat you're freezing has not been in the fridge too long when you pop it in the freezer or it may spoil.
It is not recommended to re-freeze products that have been frozen and thawed previously, such as our prawns and calamari. Although products like ham, smoked turkey and shashliks with fresh veggies can be frozen, they generally do not thaw well and will likely not retain their taste and texture. When thawing, safely defrost in the fridge rather than on the bench. It's good to plan ahead if you're defrosting a larger roasting piece like chicken or turkey as these can take around 48 hours to thaw.
Q. Can I make changes to my order?
If you'd like to make a change to your order, let us know at least two days prior to your delivery and we will make every effort to accomodate the request (the more notice you can give us the better.) Please contact the Online Store directly at [email protected]
Q. I have a delivery today, what time will it arrive?
Deliveries will arrive between 7am and 6pm. At 7pm on the night before your delivery day you will receive a text confirmation. Within this text is a tracking link. On the day it will be updated with a 4-hour timeframe. Once the delivery is 90 minutes from arriving, this ETA will update every 5 minutes with the most up to date tracking information.
Q. What does it mean when you say Cannings animals are not administered non-therapeutic antibiotics?
When we say that Cannings animals are not administered any non-therapeutic antibiotics, this means that they are not given antibiotics unless it's needed for acute sickness. Our highest priority is animal welfare, so if an animal is sick and a vet deems that antibiotics are needed for them to get better then they will absolutely receive them.
The good news is, this means that your Cannings meat does NOT contain antibiotics/antibiotic residue. If any of our chickens or cattle get sick enough to warrant them having an antibiotic, then they fall outside of the strict programs they are being produced under, and their meat will be sold off as a conventional product as opposed to a premium, free range product. That is to say - this meat will not be sold at Cannings. In the case of our pigs, they go through what is called a "withholding period" (or WHP) from the last dose of antibiotic to their slaughter date, ensuring there is no antibiotic residue in the meat.
