2017

After a 17-year career in corporate marketing, Toni Barton decided to return to her roots and become a sheep farmer, but she didn’t leave her marketing and finance experience behind. She set her own sale price at farmers’ markets, hosted lamb cooking masterclasses on her farm, and set about developing new products. 

 

Constantly looking for ways to value-add to her lamb, Toni wondered why every part of the lamb is considered valuable, except the lamb belly which is considered a by-product. Toni had the idea to send it off to be cured and smoked like pork belly. If she could value-add to it she could increase the value of the whole sheep. When it came back from the smokehouse, it tasted delicious. 

 

"When it was time to test it for sale, I took five kilos to a farmer’s market." says Toni. "It sold out within the hour. Then I made 20 kilos, then 100 kilos. Now I have my own smokehouse and I’m selling in retail outlets." She knew she was on to a winner. She’d invented lamb bacon.