Skip to main content
Part of complete coverage on

Pampering cows the Wagyu way

By Isa Soares, CNN
August 29, 2013 -- Updated 1640 GMT (0040 HKT)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Martine Chapman and Mohsin Altajir moved from Dubai to Perthshire, Scotland, to start producing the meat
  • To keep the cattle happy -- and ensure the beef tastes good -- they feed the herd with seaweed and Omega three
  • Mohsin's family owns Highland Spring water and the 25,000 acres of land surrounding it

(CNN) -- Japanese Wagyu beef is considered to be one of the best meats in the world; tender and succulent. Its cuts can sell for more than £250 -- and I haven't had the chance, or the cash, to try it.

But for one couple, the premium delicacy was behind the decision to shift countries -- and change lifestyles.

Martine Chapman and Mohsin Altajir, a husband and wife team, moved from Dubai to Perthshire, Scotland, to start producing the meat.

Watch more: Distillery wants better export conditions

They'd made money in Dubai in international property during the boom years and got out before the market crashed. Then, Altajir told me, he "played golf."

But Chapman was bored, and wanted a new challenge. Having tasted Wagyu beef in Australia, she decided farming the beef would be their new business venture.

Watch more: Can cruise industry regain public trust

Luckily, sourcing the land wasn't a problem. Nor was money. Altajir's family owns bottled water company Highland Spring, and the 25,000 acres of land surrounding its base in Perthshire.

After putting together a business plan, all they needed was the Wagyu.

They looked to Australia, one of the world's largest producers of Wagyu beef, to source the cattle. The couple then began cross breed them with traditional Scottish pedigrees, such as Shorthorn and Angus.

Read more: How the skies tell Head if business will be sunny or gloomy

That was October 2011. Nearly two years on, the business is expanding. The couple tell me they will have 1,500 Wagyu by the end of next year, heading towards 6,000 by 2020. They aim to be the world's biggest Waygu producer.

But they're not just striving for quantity -- they are also focused on quality. Chapman tells me that's how they can ensure the business stands apart from other producers.

Read more: Building learning blocks at LEGO school

To keep the cattle happy -- and ensure the beef tastes good -- they feed the herd with seaweed and Omega three. They cut the hay to a certain length so the cows don't have to chew too much.

Lighting in the cow's sheds, I am told, "is done properly." In other words -- it's mood lighting.

They're considering playing music too, so the cows feel relaxed. Chapman, who seems to know most cows by name, evens brushes them.

They feed the Wagyu a special low energy concentrate, which costs $1,500 per animal per year. With straw, grain, labor and other costs, it's not a cheap business.

But there's logic behind this unorthodox farming. This strict regime, similar to that of a yoga retreat, improves the quality of the marbling and the animals' fertility rates.

Each animal can sell for more than $12,000, and with Michelin star chefs adding more Wagyu to their menus, this may just help entice other Scottish producers to start breeding the beef too.

ADVERTISEMENT
Part of complete coverage on
Marketplace Europe
September 26, 2013 -- Updated 1720 GMT (0120 HKT)
Isa Soares sits down with the CEO of Henkel Kasper Rorsted for his take on what Merkel's win means for German businesses.
September 28, 2013 -- Updated 1406 GMT (2206 HKT)
As Germany's switchover from nuclear power gathers pace, concerns are mounting over the cost to the country's already squeezed consumers.
September 20, 2013 -- Updated 1655 GMT (0055 HKT)
The financial crisis has driven a wedge through Europe, with two economies emerging and -- more dangerously -- a psychological split between the north and the south, European leaders have told CNN.
September 26, 2013 -- Updated 1224 GMT (2024 HKT)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel seems the antithesis of a modern-day politician. Nina dos Santos explains why this works.
September 9, 2013 -- Updated 1250 GMT (2050 HKT)
The use of chemical weapons in Syria is a "tragic mistake" but Italy will only participate in military action with the approval of the United Nations Security Council, according to the country's finance minister.
September 13, 2013 -- Updated 1018 GMT (1818 HKT)
What a difference a year makes. Last year, delegates at the Ambrosetti Forum in Italy had a lot to contend with. The air feels a little different now.
September 5, 2013 -- Updated 1708 GMT (0108 HKT)
While UK politicians seek to distance themselves from Europe's troubled continent, rail operators are doing their best to bridge the gap.
September 6, 2013 -- Updated 0927 GMT (1727 HKT)
Spain's small businesses are being warned they must "export or die" as the country remains mired in recession.
August 30, 2013 -- Updated 1040 GMT (1840 HKT)
As Europe inches toward its recovery from crisis, the boss of one of the region's biggest home retailers says there are "more positive" signs.
August 29, 2013 -- Updated 1640 GMT (0040 HKT)
Japanese Wagyu beef is considered to be one of the best meats in the world; tender and succulent. Its cuts can sell for more than £250.
August 23, 2013 -- Updated 1147 GMT (1947 HKT)
One of Holland's most prestigious pottery makers, the Royal Delft Group, is promoting its heritage to combat the rise of copycat producers.
August 15, 2013 -- Updated 1605 GMT (0005 HKT)
Antonio Baravalle, the CEO of Italy-based Lavazza, discusses plans to make the U.S. the company's second biggest market.
August 16, 2013 -- Updated 1017 GMT (1817 HKT)
From the outside, Italy's Credem Bank looks just like any other high security operation. But the gold in here is not made of money.
August 2, 2013 -- Updated 1601 GMT (0001 HKT)
Eurostar plans to launch a "state of the art" fleet of trains that can carry passengers to the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, says the CEO.
August 1, 2013 -- Updated 1751 GMT (0151 HKT)
UK company Hornby's model planes and trains have been made in low-cost emerging markets for decades. Now, piece by piece, production is being brought back home.
July 31, 2013 -- Updated 1211 GMT (2011 HKT)
How one man is making American-style pies to warm up struggling Spain.
July 18, 2013 -- Updated 1607 GMT (0007 HKT)
While the eyes of the corporate world remain fixed on the financial markets, the boss of sportswear giant Head just needs to look skywards to forecast if business will be sunny.
July 11, 2013 -- Updated 1543 GMT (2343 HKT)
Martin Sorrell on the Eurozone crisis and how he operates WPP, the world's leading marketing and communications group.
ADVERTISEMENT