Our Harris Story
Our family has been producing top quality meat since 1956. From the rich pastures of Cheviot right up to your plate, we oversee the full process required to produce the best quality meat.
1897
Clare comes from a long line of butchers. Her grandfather, Jeremiah Harnett, opened a butcher’s shop in Kaikoura in 1897 with her father William (Billy) continuing in the profession.
1956
Having grown up learning and working with her butcher father, 21 year old Clare Harris purchases the butchers on seddon street in Cheviot.
1976
The Harris tradition of creating excellent butchers continued when a 17 year old Bryan decided to come back to Cheviot to help in the family shop. There are no jobs Bryan asks his staff to do that he can't or won't do himself and he often fills in on the production floor when there are staff shortages.
1977
The Harris family found themselves packed to the rafters in their two bedroom home in town. Before long the family shifted to a small farm in Domett, 9km south of Cheviot. The farm was only modest but the Harris family made the most of it, farming sheep, beef and pigs.
1978
The 1970s was a busy time for the Harris family having just purchased a new plot of land in Domett. Next, they decided to move the butcher shop to the main street of Cheviot.
1987
In order to maintain control and quality over their operation the Harris’s built their own processing plant on site.
2008
The foundation was laid on the small Domett farm all those years ago, but the Harris‘ knew they could do more to deliver on Harris Farms’ pasture to plate ethos. They set about acquiring and developing the farms surrounding Harris Farms’ Domett site. Now, the 1000 hectares of land running from the foothills of Cheviot to the Hurunui River in North Canterbury are Harris sheep and beef farms that supply to Harris Farms.
2021
To meet the demand of customers throughout the South Island Harris Farms completed an upgrade on their factory in Domett. The company has also recently rebranded and introduced a new range of packaging that maximises the shelf-life of Harris Farms products.
