Our Story

Over 120 years of grass-fed beef and lamb perfection

Taylor Preston is a family-owned business with a rich history of meat processing, farming and exports. Since 1904, our founding families have been proudly serving customers with top quality meats. In 1991 the Taylor, Preston and Grace families came together to establish Taylor Preston, which is today a thriving meat processing and export company, situated in Ngauranga Gorge, just minutes from New Zealand’s bustling harbour capital.

At our core, we’re a Goldilocks company—big enough to handle large bulk orders, yet small enough to provide the kind of personal, agile service that sets us apart. Our dedicated team is passionate about delivering down-to-earth, friendly service every day.

Today our multi species plant processes around 1,500,000 head of sheep, lambs, goats, calves and beef annually. It is one of the largest 100% NZ owned privately held meat processors. Taylor Preston is Halal certified and fully EU and USDA licensed for the export of sheep, lambs, goats, calves and beef.

Certifications

Timeline

Our narrative weaves together the fascinating stories of three pioneering families. For over 120 years, the trailblazing Taylor, Preston, and Grace families have farmed the land and supplied premium meat to Wellington and beyond.

1881

Otairi Station Purchased

Andrew Duncan (Great Great Grandfather to Christopher Grace) landed at Whanganui by boat from Scotland in 1870. In 1881 his sons John and Andrew went to local Māori Iwi and offered to buy land. The family legend goes John asked to purchase land where the trees were the strongest, with the biggest berries and the Wood Pigeons were the fattest, this being strong farming land. Otairi was purchased sight unseen.

There was a gathering of the owners at a pa site on the Tutaenui Stream near Marton and John Duncan spoke for half an hour in fluent Māori to the 200 owners assembled so the purchase price could be divided fairly between the 7 chiefs for each hapu present.

1881

1904 

Preston's Master Butchers Opens

Preston’s Master Butchers opened its doors on Tory Street, Wellington, achieving phenomenal success. Founded by Arthur Edward Preston, an English butcher from Liverpool, the business quickly expanded. Within a short time, seven shops, two factories, and a fleet of horse-drawn carts were serving fresh meat to Wellington’s residents.

1904

1922

Establishment of the New Zealand Meat Producers Board

Thomas Andrew Duncan, Christopher Grace's Grandfather (1873-1960) (seated front left), was a Foundation member of the first New Zealand Meat Producers Board in 1922. Sir Thomas became chairman of the board in 1935, a position he held for nearly a decade and spanning the majority of WWII.

He was personally involved in the production and export of New Zealand beef and lamb and played a pivotal role in the expansion and security of NZ meat exports; while working to ensure favourable prices for NZ farmers.

Not long after WWII he magnanimously gifted 200 prime bullock carcasses to London, which eventually made their way to many British homes, still under severe rationing. A gesture that exemplified his character.

1922

1956

Otairi Chilled Beef at Smithfield London

Christopher Grace's uncle, Bill Duncan, on left

1956

1962

Christopher Grace

In 1962, aged 21 Christopher Grace, grandson of T.A. and youngest son of George and Jeannie Grace (T.A.’s youngest daughter) approached his four uncles to take over as supervisor of Otairi Station, an undertaking he continued for 25 years until 1987. Christopher is the fifth generation to farm the land in Hunterville.

1962

1978

Hopper St Meat Processors

Continuing the Preston family legacy, Arthur Edward Preston’s grandsons established a state-of-the-art meat processing operation on Hopper Street. This facility supplied wholesale meat and served the general public, reinforcing the family’s commitment to quality. (Rod Preston on right in photo.)

1978

1987

WELLPRO Abattoir

A business venture between Christopher Grace and The Wellington City Council Abattoir (WELLPRO) started construction July 8th 1987 and the first carcase was killed January 5th 1988. In six months they had constructed an export plant at the bottom of the Ngauranga Gorge quarry.

Deemed by the Trade Minister Mike Moore and Wellington Mayor Jim Belich "the most modern and cost-effective export line in the world".

1987

1991

Taylor Preston Ltd. Established

In 1991, Keith Taylor, Rod Preston, and Christopher Grace joined forces to purchase the WELLPRO Abattoir—marking the start of Taylor Preston Ltd. Keith brought sharp business know-how and hands-on management, Christopher had the farming and livestock expertise, and Rod knew the ins and outs of local retail and wholesale. Fast forward to today, and we’re proud to be a leading meat processor and exporter, supplying top-quality New Zealand beef and lamb to some of the world’s biggest food companies, restaurant chains, and hotels.

1991

1996

Te Kumu Station

In 1996, the 25 Otairi family members/shareholders got together and auctioned off their shares. The auction concluded with Christopher Grace purchasing “Te Kumu” outright, while the rest of the station was retained by the Duncan family. The Te Kumu block comprised 1,485ha at the eastern end of the original Otairi block.

1996

1999

Natural Farm Brand Launched

Natural Farm was launched to represent the finest in New Zealand meat. Only premium chilled and frozen cuts make the grade. Limited to one importer per country, Natural Farm is available exclusively through approved partners. Natural Farm delivers unmatched quality, flavour and consistency.

1999

2005

NZ Direct in France Established

NZ Direct was founded in 2005 as a joint venture between Taylor Preston and Jean-Michel Nagard, who had been passionate about New Zealand since the early 1990s. Created to strengthen the connection between France and New Zealand, NZ Direct specialises in promoting and distributing premium New Zealand meat, primarily lamb, throughout France. The company is headquartered in Ploemeur, Brittany, with logistics hubs in Chilly-Mazarin (South Paris) for chilled products and Le Havre (Normandy) for frozen.

2005

2011

Shareholder of Pasture Petfoods NZ Ltd

In 2011, Taylor Preston became a shareholder and key supplier to Pasture Petfoods, a joint venture founded by leading New Zealand meat exporters. The business was established to meet the growing demand for high-quality, natural petfood ingredients. Today, Pasture Petfoods offers an extensive range of pasture-fed, hormone-free products, along with modern contract processing, blending, and packaging services—supported by an IANZ-certified laboratory and strong logistics capability.

2011