The Country 11/11/25: Hunter McGregor talks to Jamie Mackay

We catch up with a Kiwi selling venison to the Chinese in Shanghai. What does he make of the Taste Pure Nature rebrand and relaunch?

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
His name is Hunter McGregor. He is our Shanghai based correspondent. Yes,
a key we are selling venison and red meat to
the Chinese. We procure his services at great cost. I
think it cost us a box of makaiser last year. Hunter.
It's a shame you're not going to be in christ
Church on Thursday for the launch of the twenty twenty

(00:21):
five Makaisa at the christ Church Show.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Yeah, good afternoon, Jamie. You're very jealous and I want
about to get there for some fresh machaiser, which, if
I do recall correctly, the Makaisier gave me was nearly
expired so it was still good. Though it was still good.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Well, he didn't turn up till about August. It's brood
in November, so that's your fault, not mine. Talk to
me about the eleventh of November. It's Armistice Day, very
meaningful day. It's also eleven eleven, which is in Chinese
terms a big online sale day. And I think this
was invented by Ali Barber.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
Yes, eleven eleven. Traditionally, since two thousand and nine, Ali
Baba has been pushing a big online sale. It's a
bit like Black Monday and stuff in the US and
the rest of the world, and it's been massive. You know,
it was really big a few years ago. It's tied down,
but yeah, everyone sort of and on. But it's not
as hyped up as it once was. And I'll give

(01:20):
you an example. You know, a few years ago, you know,
when it came to shipping and logistics, around eleven to eleven,
everything would be full the whole. You know, it will
take two or three days to get things across China.
Usually it's overnight. But at the moment, you know, shipping
is normal and logistics as normal because it's not as
hype or as big as it once was. And for

(01:41):
someone like myself that's actually selling products, I don't need
to do a big discount or anything like that this year,
which is great. So you know, it's sort of dying down,
but it's still big enough. There'll still be some pretty
impressive numbers that will be on sale, but it's usually
about selling things cheaply, and I'm trying to avoid that
at the moment.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
So Hunter McGregor, as one of Shanghai's most famous or
in your case, infamous purveyors of fine meats, I'm sure
you would have been invited to the Taste Pure Nature
activation and rebranding or relaunched that we talked to Sirmacarapeaver
about on yesterday's show.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
Yeah, no, Jamie. Unfortunately they it wasn't invited or they
must have got my own bite must have got lost
in the mail. But look, it's good that they've actually
started doing some activations and doing some things because last
year's CIE they relaunched the Taste Pure Nature and then
they relaunched it again when the Prime Minister was up
earlier this year. So it's good to see they've actually

(02:40):
started doing something. And look, you know, it's great. It's
wonderful that Ben Bailey, a Kiwi chef, is up here
doing a pop up for the month. He's doing it
in the w Hotel and I know how much you
like the skyline of Shanghai, and it's probably one of
the best hotels to see the skyline. It's got an
outdoor balcony. I was there for an event on Saturday nights.

(03:02):
It was really good. But coming back to Taste Pure Nature,
you know, it's been running for five years and I
haven't really seen it move the dial at all. It
hasn't really done anything. They don't really seem to have
a plan or be very focused. You know, there's been
a lot of changes in the market that's when they started,
and the biggest change is that local products are actually

(03:26):
now preferred by Chinese consumers. You know. For example, you
know there is some the Chinese have about one hundred
and ninety million lamb or sheep in production, and yes,
some of it is very very good and it's now
sitting on Mission Star restaurants. So you know, that is
a real local competition and that's going to be a

(03:48):
real challenge for not just New Zealand Lamb, but all
Lamb around the world.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Hey, just to finish on eighty SI Low farmers visited
China last week and on your email you sent me
this morning, I was seeming insulted by this hunter. You said,
surprisingly most of them listen to your show.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
Yeah, and that was good to catch up with some farmers.
It's really good to see to to see farmers up
here enjoying China and experience and understanding and stuff. But
I just want to come back. Also just to Ben
Bailey and as pop up. One interesting thing is that
on his menu that he's selling this month he's selling
and Cove beef, which is Ocean's beef, which is grain

(04:30):
fed beef, which is a fantastic product that's available in
many places around Shanghai, but it's not grass fed and
it doesn't put the taste pure nature profile. So you know,
if a key we shed is not using grass fed
beef and a pop up up here, you know there's
going to have a bit of a challenge to actually
get some cut through. So yeah, fair comment, Let's see
what happens with nature.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Let's just finish on the on the sunlight farmers then yeah, no,
it would be good.

Speaker 2 (04:56):
It's always good to see farmers coming through and if
anyone else is coming through them morning while for say
good Ey, always happy to catch up for a beer.

Speaker 1 (05:03):
Hey, Hants McGregor, we didn't have a great line today,
Thanks for your patience.

Speaker 2 (05:07):
Cheers, Thanks Jeremy,