A more sustainable food culture with Wagyu meat

A visit to the Wagyu Breeding North Friesland


Perhaps you have already spotted it on the menu in our restaurant Deichkind, because for several years now a very special meat delicacy has found a permanent place in our menu: The best meat from Wagyu beef, which is not only particularly delicious, but also comes from regional and sustainable farming. In our very first blog post, you can find out what makes this originally Japanese noble meat so special and what the vision behind it is.

Last Tuesday, we made our way to the tranquil Risum-Lindholm. Surrounded by the typical North Frisian landscape and the vast fields, the horizon seems almost endless. When we arrived at the farm, Steffen, Reiner and Lena were already waiting for us. And you notice immediately: There is a lot of heart and soul in this farm.

The farm has been run as a family business since 1935. Reiner is the farm manager, who primarily takes care of the agricultural business as well as the breeding and care of the Wagyu herd. His son Steffen recently graduated with a degree in business administration, which he completed completely alongside his daily work on the farm. Now he mainly takes care of all the steps it takes to get the goods to the customer. And then there is Lena, who is responsible for the sales and marketing of the meat and is in close contact with the customers.


Regionality, quality, sustainability.

As we look around the farm, one thing in particular catches our eye: the huge areas around the farm where we can already see the animals grazing. "It is very important to us that our animals are raised in the most species-appropriate way possible," says Steffen. "This means in particular that they spend as much of their lives as possible on the pastures." In the winter months, when it gets too cold on the pastures, the cattle are then brought into the stables and are fed a particularly high-quality feed that is not genetically modified. That is no longer a matter of course today. "The feed is the be-all and end-all - it's the only way we can ensure that our meat convinces with its unique taste," Steffen continues. "Most of the feed comes from the farm's own cultivation. Only a small amount from grain and a few important minerals that are essential for the animals' nutrition are bought in from a neighbouring country trader."

The Eggers family keeps about 300 Waygu cattle on their farm. Among them are about 50 purebred Wagyu cattle and 250 crossbred animals, so-called F1-Wagyus, which are the result of crossing the breeds Schwarzbunt SH and Wagyu Japan. "Combining these two breeds creates a successful combination of very good maternal traits, excellent growth and outstanding meat quality," Reiner explains. "What is special about the meat of the Waygus is its marbling. This comes mainly from the long grazing in the fields during the summer months. This creates a high intramuscular fat content, which makes the meat quite juicy and tender." Besides rearing the animals, the farm is also involved in the field of renewable energies and contributes to sustainable agriculture by producing biogas, using photovoltaics and producing wind energy.


Conscious, enjoyable meat consumption

Although not a member of the Eggers family, Lena has nevertheless become a passionate Wagyu lover. "The cattle totally relax you. If you're sitting in the office for half a day and then you go out to the pastures again, they bring you extremely down again with their calm, peaceful nature. And it's nice to see that our loving work is appreciated. Not only by the animals, but also by the consumers. At that time, the trend of conscious meat consumption was not yet foreseeable, but today we realise that we made exactly the right step."

With its way of farming, Wagyu Zucht Nordfriesland contributes not only to an enjoyable, but also a sustainable eating culture. "That's exactly what we also believe in here at StrandGut Resort," says our kitchen bull Markus Friederici. "When I met Steffen back then and visited him here on the farm, I was immediately inspired by the way they treated the animals and their vision of sustainable agriculture. After a coffee and cake, I knew straight away: this is something for us! We also notice the change in our guests' eating culture at the hotel and in the restaurant. Today, 50 % of our menu consists of vegetarian or vegan dishes. Meat should also be something special and enjoyable for us. The meat from Wagyu Zucht Nordfriesland is definitely that."

If you have a hankering for Wagyu meat, you can either eat it at our restaurant Deichkind or order it at any time from the Wagyu Zucht Nordfriesland online shop at shop.wagyuzucht-nordfriesland.de.