The Perth Bulk Meat Buyer's Guide: How to Buy Half a Cow (and Actually Save)

Buying meat in bulk used to be something only big farming families did. Now it’s one of the smartest moves any Perth household can make — better meat, a better price per kilo, and far fewer trips to the shops. But “buying in bulk” covers everything from a $200 family pack to a whole grass-fed beast, and the jump can feel confusing the first time.

This guide walks you through it: the different ways to buy in bulk, how much meat you actually get, whether it saves money, how much freezer space you need, and how to place an order you’ll be happy with. By the end you’ll know exactly which option suits your household.

The three ways to buy meat in bulk

There isn’t one “bulk” option — there are three, and they suit very different people.

Bulk meat packs are curated boxes built around a household: a family pack, a BBQ pack, a mince pack, a mixed-protein box. They’re the easiest way in — you pick a box, we deliver it, and there’s no decision-making about cuts. If you’ve never bought in bulk before, start here. Browse the current range on our Bulk Meat Packs page.

Whole cuts are a single large primal — a whole scotch, a whole rump, a whole eye fillet — sliced to your preference. You get premium steak at a whole-piece price, which is a noticeable saving over buying steaks individually. Great for steak lovers who don’t need a whole carcass. See Whole Cuts.

Sides, halves and quarters are the real bulk play: you buy a portion of a whole animal, butchered and portioned to your specification. This is where the per-kilo price drops the most, and where you get the full spread of cuts — steaks, roasts, mince, and everything in between. This is what most people mean when they say “buying half a cow.” It’s all on our Full Bodies & Sides page.

For the full overview of how each option works and what’s available, our bulk meat in Perth page lays it all out in one place.

How much meat is in a half a cow?

This is the first question everyone asks, and the honest answer is: it depends on the animal and how you have it cut. But here’s a rough guide to set expectations.

A whole beast yields a large amount of packed, ready-to-eat meat — enough to feed a family for the better part of a year. A half gives you roughly half that, and is the most popular option for a household with a dedicated freezer. A quarter is the entry point into carcass buying — a manageable volume that still delivers the per-kilo savings without needing a second freezer.

The key thing to understand is “yield.” The hanging weight of a carcass is not the amount of meat you take home — once it’s been trimmed, boned and portioned, the packed weight is lower. That’s normal and true of every butcher; what matters is that you’re paying for quality meat, cut your way, at a better rate than buying piece by piece. For current options and what each works out to, check the live listings on Full Bodies & Sides.

What cuts do you get from a half?

One of the best things about buying a half or a side is the variety. Instead of just mince, you get the whole animal’s worth of cuts, typically including:

• Premium steaks — scotch fillet, eye fillet, rump, sirloin
• Roasting cuts — topside, silverside, blade, brisket
• Slow-cooking cuts — chuck, gravy beef, osso buco, short ribs
• Mince and sausages — a generous share of the order
• Bones — for stock and bone broth, if you want them

This mix is exactly why bulk buying changes how you cook. You stop defaulting to the same two cuts and start using the whole animal — a roast on Sunday, slow-cooked ribs midweek, steaks on the weekend, mince for the quick nights. It’s better value and better eating.

Does buying in bulk actually save money?

Yes — and the reason is simple. When you buy individual portions, you’re paying for the labour of cutting, packing and merchandising each one. When you buy a side or a whole cut, that work happens once across a large volume, so the price per kilo drops. The bigger the portion, the better the rate: packs save you a bit, whole cuts more, and sides and halves the most.

The other saving is the one people forget — the trips you don’t make. A freezer full of quality meat means no more topping up at the supermarket two or three times a week, and far less of the impulse spending that comes with it. For a household that eats meat regularly, the combined saving over a year is real.

It’s worth being clear-eyed too: the upfront cost of a half is higher than a weekly shop, because you’re pre-buying months of meat in one go. The per-kilo price is lower; the single payment is larger. If that’s a stretch, a bulk pack is a lower-commitment way to get most of the benefit.

How much freezer space do I need?

This is the practical question that decides which option suits you.

A bulk pack or a quarter fits comfortably in a standard fridge-freezer or a small chest freezer. A half or full side yields a lot of packed meat and really wants a dedicated chest or upright freezer — as a rough guide, somewhere around 200–300 litres. A whole beast needs serious freezer capacity, so it’s usually for larger households or families splitting an order between them.

If your freezer space is tight, don’t force it — start with a pack or a quarter, see how your household goes through it, and scale up next time. There’s no rush, and a freezer crammed too full doesn’t run efficiently anyway.

How to order a side (and get the cuts you want)

The part that intimidates first-timers is the cutting instructions — but it’s straightforward, and we’ll guide you. When you order a side or half, you can tell us:

• Steak thickness — thin, standard, or thick-cut
• Roast sizes — sized for your household (a roast for four eats differently to a roast for eight)
• How much mince — some people want a big share as mince; others want more steaks and roasts
• Sausages — whether you want some of the trim made into our gluten-free sausages
• Bones and offal — keep them for stock and nutrient-dense cooking, or leave them out

If you’re not sure, just say so — we’ll cut it in a sensible, all-purpose way that suits most households. You’re not expected to know butcher’s terminology; that’s our job.

Storage: how long does it keep?

Properly frozen, your bulk order keeps for months without losing quality. A few tips:

• Everything arrives snap-frozen and labelled, so you can stack it straight into the freezer.
• Keep a rough inventory on the freezer door for the first month — it helps you actually use the variety instead of reaching for the same pack each time.
• Rotate older portions to the front as you restock.
• Thaw in the fridge overnight rather than at room temperature for the best result.

Quality is the whole point

The reason to buy in bulk from a proper butcher rather than chasing the cheapest carcass online is simple: you’re committing to months of this meat, so the quality matters more, not less. Every bulk order from us is certified organic, grass-fed and 100% gluten-free, sourced from trusted WA and Australian farms — the same standard as everything else we sell. (If you’re not sure what “grass-fed” really means once you start reading labels, our guide on grass fed vs grass finished beef is worth a read.)

Buying a half of genuinely good beef is one of the best value-for-quality decisions a household can make. Buying a half of mediocre beef just means a freezer full of mediocre dinners for six months.

Ready to start?

If you’re new to it, start with a bulk meat pack — low commitment, no decisions to make, delivered free on orders over $200. When you’re ready for the real savings, move up to a half or a side and have it cut your way.

Everything you need is on our bulk meat in Perth page, and we deliver right across Perth metro, the Perth Hills and regional WA. Fill the freezer once, and eat well for months.

Shop bulk meat now →