Looking at the project years ago, South Island farmer Wayne Cameron knew it wasn’t the right time to bring his dream of beef bites to life. Revisiting the idea after Covid, timing aligned and after a whirlwind year in 2025, Little Ardroy Beef Bites have now hit the shelves to fill a gap in the mock takeaway market.

Growing up on a sheep and beef farm, ‘Ardroy’, Wayne Cameron relishes paying homage to his family heritage with his company Little Ardroy Beef. ‘I have built my career in the meat industry, working on special projects,’ he explains, ‘and Little Ardroy is a personal project that allows me to get closer to consumers.’

With his experience and day-to-day operation focusing on the export of meat, Wayne saw a gap in the market – not only in the utilisation of prime cows, but in the freezer section of supermarkets. ‘We have frozen fish bites, chicken nuggets and all the variations they offer,’ says Wayne, ‘but nothing in the red-meat-sector.’

It was a dream of Wayne’s many years ago to provide a convenient, mock-takeaway solution for red meat in supermarkets, but timing was often not on his side. Until now. ‘I also wanted to do something that improved our health and highlighted our prime cow beef product, closer to home.’

With much of our cow beef sold off-shore, Wayne produces a beef version of chicken nuggets using meat from cows that live out a happy retirement – eating what and when they want.

Collaborating with Professor Pablo Gregorini from Lincoln University, they are developing livestock production and agricultural systems where animals are presented with a ‘grazing buffet of grass’ to help the development of an optimal system for animal welfare and health.’

A word to the wise – one (or even 3) beef bites is never enough, so make sure you cook plenty!

‘The goal of his study is right through to human health,’ explains Wayne. ‘Posing the theory you are what you eat, eats.

‘Essentially, rather than being presented with the same old ryegrass every day, they can choose what grass they eat. This has seen them eat less, stay healthier and produce a more nutrient-dense meat.’

By allowing older cows to live out their days on the Banks Peninsula farm he calls ‘a retirement village’, Wayne is giving the cows the best life he can while getting a more flavourful product for his customers too.

Testing took a few years as Wayne wanted the flavour to appeal to both kids and adults and for the bite to work as both a snack and an ingredient. He knew he was onto something when his 12-year-old son, Ollie, kept bringing friends home after school and all they would ask for was more beef bites.

While perhaps the most fussiest of palettes, catering to children was only part of the plan. Wayne found himself sharing samples with school parents, friends and family – gathering feedback at every opportunity. ‘The response was overwhelming. The quality and flavour complexity was there for adults, and the kids couldn’t get enough.’

And the best part, the beef bites tick all the boxes for convenience, from freezer to plate in less than 20 minutes.

Served on a platter with a dipping sauce; in a wrap, simply as is, the options for serving are endless. ‘We have two flavours, at the moment,’ describes Wayne. ‘Original and Korean BBQ and have alternates in the pipeline for 2026.’

After overwhelmingly positive feedback from their first public launch at the Auckland Food Show in July 2025, the momentum hasn’t stopped. Little Ardroy Beef was awarded the Small Supplier of the year title at the New World Emerge 2025 Awards, taking out both the judges’ and staff votes. New World is now working with Wayne to help upscale with a staged release of the product across their stores so everyone in Aotearoa can enjoy the benefits of red-meat-based food in the freezer section.

A word to the wise – one (or even 3) beef bites is never enough, so make sure you cook plenty!

Wayne Cameron’s

Top three ways to enjoy

With the beef bites being super quick and easy to prepare, the options and ideas are endless for what you can do with them.

On its Own

The flavour is there in the beef, all you need to do is pair it with a nice dipping sauce and some hot chips. Think of it as a better version of nuggets and chips for the kids; while being the perfect ‘take a plate’ solution when out with friends.

Mix it with Greens

Elevate your salad to the next level by mixing in either flavour of the beef bites. The adults can think of it as either a nice addition for themselves or a sneaky way of getting your kids to eat more greens at lunch and dinner time.

Creativity is Key

Any meal you can think of that has some form of protein can be made better by swapping in the beef bites – tacos, bao buns, sliders, wraps and so much more.