The Neat Meat Company
Neat Meat is a flourishing family business run by the Eriksen brothers and their “adopted” Irish brother Andy Ham. It all started in 2001 when Simon Eriksen, an ambitious farmer’s son from Gisborne, returned from his OE ready for a new challenge. Using his business and entrepreneurial skills – which included setting up wild boar farms on London’s green belt – he saw the potential in providing quality meat to Auckland’s top restaurants and hotels.
The early days of Neat Meat were certainly humble. The first company “office” was Simon’s beat-up 1986 Subaru Legacy which doubled as his delivery van and his main form of contact was an ancient brick-sized cell phone. But he quickly built up a list of happy clients.
Neat Meat became a family business when Simon’s younger brother William returned to New Zealand from his OE – mostly in Northern Ireland where, among other things, he played “professional” rugby: “I was provided with a car to drive and a place to stay,” William recalls, “so as far as I am concerned, it was professional!”
Neat Meat is a flourishing family business run by the Eriksen brothers and their “adopted” Irish brother Andy Ham. It all started in 2001 when Simon Eriksen, an ambitious farmer’s son from Gisborne, returned from his OE ready for a new challenge. Using his business and entrepreneurial skills – which included setting up wild boar farms on London’s green belt – he saw the potential in providing quality meat to Auckland’s top restaurants and hotels.
The early days of Neat Meat were certainly humble. The first company “office” was Simon’s beat-up 1986 Subaru Legacy which doubled as his delivery van and his main form of contact was an ancient brick-sized cell phone. But he quickly built up a list of happy clients.
Neat Meat became a family business when Simon’s younger brother William returned to New Zealand from his OE – mostly in Northern Ireland where, among other things, he played “professional” rugby: “I was provided with a car to drive and a place to stay,” William recalls, “so as far as I am concerned, it was professional!”