Singapore entrepreneur introduces Australian beef brand Pardoo Wagyu to local market

SINGAPORE – Diners in Singapore can now get a taste of Pardoo Wagyu, a premium Australian beef developed by Singaporean entrepreneur Bruce Cheung, which is now available at 17 establishments here – including hotels, Korean eateries and modern dining restaurants.

It is offered at Gordon Grill in Goodwood Park Hotel, Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium, Mercure Singapore Bugis, Amara Hotel, Little Island Brewing Co, Oak & Ember, Yazawa Meat and Seoul Butchery, among other places. Prices have not been disclosed.

The brand is distributed here exclusively by food service distributor Bidfood Singapore, and was launched officially on March 3.

Known for its buttery finish and caramelised sweetness, Pardoo Wagyu is described by Mr Cheung, 72, as delivering a fuller, beefier flavour than many other wagyu cuts.

The beef comes from cattle reared at Pardoo Station in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, where the cattle spend about 200 days grazing on tropical grasses before being grain-fed – a process that helps develop the fine marbling and tenderness Pardoo Wagyu is prized for.

Mr Cheung, the chair and co-founder of consumer goods supplier China International Duty Free, acquired the 200,000ha Pardoo Station in 2015 for A$13 million and ventured into agriculture with no farming background.

Drawn by the vast Wallal aquifer beneath the station, he believed the underground water could support wagyu farming in remote Pilbara.

Over the past decade, Pardoo Wagyu has expanded into 15 international markets and, in 2025, won the World’s Best Grain-Fed Sirloin at the World Steak Challenge.

Mr Cheung tells The Straits Times: “Singaporean consumers always want choices. Pardoo provides another option.”

Pardoo Wagyu arrives as Singapore’s premium beef segment becomes increasingly competitive. Japanese A5 wagyu remains a fixture on fine-dining menus, while South Korean Hanwoo beef was approved for import in November 2025, expanding options for diners seeking richly marbled cuts.

“Many producers focus on pushing marbling higher,” Mr Cheung says. “Our focus is controlling genetics and production so we can deliver the same eating experience every time.”

In the brand’s early years, he acknowledges, the operation was still refining its breeding and feeding systems. “We were not ready before,” he says.

Today, the herd averages marbling scores above eight – a level he says delivers richness without being overly fatty.

“We wanted to enter Singapore only when we were confident about consistency,” Mr Cheung says. “Now I feel confident that what we offer is repeatable.”

Consistency, he stresses, is central to Pardoo Wagyu’s identity.

Inspired by the late Japanese wagyu expert Shogo Takeda, the farm uses artificial insemination and a rotational breeding programme to keep marbling levels consistent across its herd.

“We select the best bull for that year and use the same semen throughout the breeding cycle,” Mr Cheung says.

The aim is to give chefs a product that performs the same way each time it reaches the grill.

He adds: “It shouldn’t be so rich that after a few bites, you feel you’ve had enough.”

Bidfood Singapore’s chief executive Justine Hopkinson says the partnership allows local restaurants to source wagyu with clear oversight of its breeding, feeding and supply chain.

Mr Cheung adds that Pardoo Wagyu is intended to be a stable supply partner for Singapore over time.

“Some of our farms in the north-west are actually closer to Singapore than to Perth,” he says. “We aren’t just a supplier, we are a partner in Singapore’s long-term food security strategy.”

He views the brand as a long-term commitment to the market – and as proof that a Singaporean entrepreneur can build and sustain a large-scale agricultural enterprise overseas.

“I want people to recognise that Singaporeans can farm. This is not something short-term, but generational.”