AUGUST 2025
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Otway Pork chief executive Duncan Parry.
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farmers are doing themselves a disservice if they just sell their product to a trader assuming they’re getting the best price. You can get a much better price for your product if you put a brand on it. Get yourself a story, secure your provenance and protect it like the blazes,” he says. I N RECENT years, free-trade agreements with the UK, India and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership that encompassed 10 neighbouring nations, have all created additional opportunities for Australian brands to go global. But not all agrifood businesses are intent on chasing the international market: in fact, Victoria’s Otway Pork has built a hugely successful business, and an award-winning brand, by deliberately staying local. Fiercely parochial to the western districts, Otway Pork CEO Duncan Parry says that a determined commitment to the foundations behind the creation of the business three decades ago, particularly allowing their animals to thrive in a natural habitat and building strong local connections, is at the heart of the Otway Pork brand and its success. “It’s all about provenance, our community, and an unwavering obsession with quality, that’s been our purpose and the key from the beginning,” says Parry. The Otway Pork brand has undoubtedly captured, and capitalised on the clean, green, location imagery. On any given day, Parry can be found at any one of company’s farms, dotted from Geelong across the rolling Western District to the South Australian border, home to some of Australia’s best pastures. “We have around 60 staff, the majority who are based on our farms and they are deeply dedicated and its fantastic work they do looking after the pigs in paddocks, they really live our brand values with us,” he says. “We farm our pigs in paddocks and that yields a better product, so when you see the green ‘O’ for Otway, our customers know they are getting something they’ll enjoy.” In May, the company celebrated Otway Pork Traditional Ham winning the champions trophy for best ham at the prestigious IFFA DFV International Product and Quality Competition. Held in Frankfurt and run by the German Butcher’s Association, it is one of the world’s most revered charcuterie competitions. The win followed the champions trophy at the Australian Charcuterie Excellence Awards. “We can’t operate in isolation without the community, so we are really focused on bringing local people along the journey with us,” Parry says. “From the staff we employ, to the places we sell, the local delis, cafes, local chefs and restaurants, who know our brand and play a really important part of our story and our success. “We are prominent in our own backyard, and we have strong support from the community who know and love southwestern Victoria as much as we do. It comes down to producing a product we are all proud to stand behind.”
D R RAJENDRA Adhikari says a brand is much more than just product features and a nifty logo, and that the key to success is to be able to clearly identify the unique character of your product, the story that makes it stand out, and to very clearly know who your customers are. “It’s vital that you identify who you are selling your product to, and how you’ll sell it to them,” he says. “You need to know your customers and what they want, do the research. And if you can’t do the research, there are many places you can go to who can, such as universities, AUSTRADE, and state-based trade and investment agencies who have a wealth of information available.” Sandy Cameron agrees that having an edge is critical. “Ask yourself, ‘Why would someone buy your product?’ It can’t just be because you’re the local one doing it. You’ve
‘It’s all about provenance, our community, and an unwavering obsession with quality’ DUNCAN PARRY
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