Matt Moran says no thanks to US beef
Celebrity chef Matt Moran has no plans to put American beef on his menus, even after the federal government cleared the way for imports.
“We don’t need it,” he told The Bendigo Advertiser.
Moran, who runs some of Sydney’s most recognisable restaurants, said Australian producers already deliver world-class quality.
“I think we’ve got the best grass-fed, we’ve got the best grain-fed. I think what we do is exceptional, and the price is better.”
For Moran, provenance and seasonality matter more than sourcing from overseas.
“I like seasonality, I like provenance,” he said. “When I was a young chef, you’d buy asparagus here in season, and then you’d buy it from Mexico and Peru. That doesn’t happen in my restaurants anymore.”
The chef recalled even questioning a staffer who once bought imported Wagyu: “One of the guys got in trouble for getting some Japanese Wagyu once… it was like ‘why the f**** would you do that?’”
Instead, he pointed to homegrown heroes like Blackmore, Sher and Mayura Station.
Moran’s comments came at the launch of the new KS7 lamb brand, which he’ll debut at Aria and Chophouse. He said premium branding in lamb was long overdue.
“Lamb farmers have copped it obviously the last few years, thank God that prices have come up. Now this year will probably be the best year ever when it comes to pricing, and it’s probably about bloody time.”
As both a chef and a farmer, Moran added that diners increasingly want transparency.
“I think it’s really important that people want to know that it’s bred well, it’s ethically treated. And when you know the story about the products, it just tastes better.”
Jonathan Jackson, 3rd September 2025
