What Bostock Brothers does

Bostock Brothers is New Zealand's only commercial organic free-range chicken producer, founded in 2014 by Ben Bostock on the family's organic apple orchard in Hawke's Bay, with his brother George joining in 2016. The company operates a vertically integrated farm-to-plate model: it grows its own organic feed (corn, barley, and apples), raises certified organic free-range chickens in portable, solar-powered French-imported chalets (each housing up to 1,500 birds with 4,500 sqm of outdoor roaming area), and processes them in its own on-site abattoir built in Hastings. It is the only NZ chicken producer to use air-chilling rather than chlorine water baths (banned in the EU), and its birds are raised 8-10 weeks versus the 38-day conventional standard. Production capacity is approximately 300 birds per day (~80,000 per year), materially below Tegel and Inghams' ~100,000 birds per day scale.

Name

Bostock Brothers

Legal name

Bostock Brothers

Website

https://bostocksorganic.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bostock Brothers is New Zealand's only commercial organic free-range chicken producer, founded in 2014 on a family apple orchard in Hawke's Bay. The vertically integrated company serves premium consumers and high-end foodservice via direct e-commerce, supermarket distribution, and restaurant supply.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Organic Poultry / Organic Free-Range Chicken

NAICS

Poultry Processing (311615), Broilers and Other Meat Type Chicken Production (112320), Poultry and Poultry Product Merchant Wholesalers (42444)

SIC

Poultry Slaughtering And Processing (2015), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Organic & Pasture-Raised Poultry & Egg Production (AFAEADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Organic Poultry & Egg Production (AFAEAMAC), Poultry Cured/Smoked & Deli Products (Turkey Ham, Deli Slices, Bacon-Style) (AFANACAD), Organic Meat, Poultry & Seafood Wholesale (AFAIAJAD)

Keywords

• Organic poultry production
• Free-range chicken
• Air-chilled chicken
• Certified organic meat
• Farm-to-plate poultry

Headquarters

HQ city

Hastings

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Online Sales: Bostock Brothers sells directly to consumers through their e-commerce website bostocksorganic.co.nz. Customers select a minimum of 5kg of organic chicken products and the company delivers fresh chilled organic chicken overnight to customers' doors via courier.
2. Wholesale/Retail Distribution: Bostock Brothers Organic Chicken is sold through all leading retailers and supermarkets in New Zealand, including Farro Fresh, Countdown Supermarkets, New World (including Remuera New World), and other upmarket suppliers. Products are sold at premium price points reflecting the organic certification and free-range credentials.
3. Acquisition by Inghams (2024): In 2024, Australian poultry producer Inghams acquired New Zealand-based Bostock Brothers for $21.94 million to become New Zealand's leading premium poultry operator. This represents an exit/change in ownership structure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bostock Brothers is New Zealand's only commercial organic, free-range chicken producer, raising certified organic chickens on its family apple orchard in Hawke's Bay using French-imported solar-powered mobile chalets, homegrown organic feed, and an on-site air-chill abattoir. The company sells a comprehensive range of whole chickens, individual cuts, and specialty/marinated products directly to consumers via its online shop and overnight courier delivery, and wholesale through leading NZ retailers and premium foodservice venues. All products are certified organic by AsureQuality, SPCA accredited, Halal certified, gluten-free, and free from antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, and chlorine.

Product overview

Bostock Brothers is New Zealand's only commercial organic free-range chicken producer, offering a comprehensive portfolio of whole chickens and cut portions. The product line centers on whole chickens in three sizes (16, 18, 20) alongside boneless and bone-in breast, thigh, drumstick, wing, and specialty cuts including tenders, mince, livers, frames, and nibbles. Value-added offerings include marinated butterfly chicken, chimichurri seasoned wings, lemon thyme drumsticks, and French tarragon sausages. All products are certified organic, free-range, air-chilled, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, and GMO-free, raised on the company's organic apple orchard in Hawke's Bay.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Whole Chicken Size 16 (1.5-1.7kg) Whole organic free-range chicken (Size 16, 1.5-1.7kg), certified organic by AsureQuality, raised on the Bostock family organic apple orchard in Hawke's Bay with air-chilled processing.
• Whole Chicken Size 18 (1.7-1.9kg) Whole organic free-range chicken (Size 18, 1.7-1.9kg), certified organic by AsureQuality, raised on the Bostock family organic apple orchard in Hawke's Bay with air-chilled processing.
• Whole Chicken Size 20 (1.9-2.1kg) Whole organic free-range chicken (Size 20, 1.9-2.1kg), certified organic by AsureQuality, raised on the Bostock family organic apple orchard in Hawke's Bay with air-chilled processing.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (500g) 500g pack of boneless, skinless organic chicken breast from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Boneless Skin On Chicken Breast (500-550g) 500-550g pack of boneless, skin-on organic chicken breast from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (500g) 500g pack of boneless, skinless organic chicken thighs from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Boneless Skin On Chicken Thighs (500-550g) 500-550g pack of boneless, skin-on organic chicken thighs from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Chicken Drumsticks (900g) 900g pack of organic chicken drumsticks from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Chicken Wings (750-850g) 750-850g pack of organic chicken wings from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Chicken Tenders (500g) 500g pack of organic chicken tenders from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Chicken Mince (400g) 400g pack of organic chicken mince from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Chicken Livers (400g) 400g pack of organic chicken livers from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Chicken Frames (~1kg) Approximately 1kg pack of organic chicken frames from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens, typically used for stock and broth.
• Chicken Whole Legs (450-600g) 450-600g pack of organic chicken whole legs from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Chicken Nibbles Organic chicken nibbles from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens, sold by weight.
• Diced Chicken Breast (450g) 450g pack of diced organic chicken breast from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens, pre-cut for convenience cooking.
• Butterfly Chicken (Spatchcock) Butterflied whole chicken (spatchcock), minimum 1.3kg, from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Boneless Butterfly Chicken (1-1.3kg) Boneless butterflied chicken (1-1.3kg approx) from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Marinated Butterfly Chicken (Lemon Thyme) Marinated butterfly chicken (minimum 1.3kg) with lemon thyme seasoning from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Chimichurri Seasoned Whole Wings (1kg) 1kg pack of chimichurri seasoned organic chicken wings from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• Lemon, Thyme & Garlic Marinated Drumsticks (900g) Marinated organic chicken drumsticks (900g) with lemon, thyme and garlic seasoning from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chickens.
• French Tarragon Organic Chicken Sausages (290g) 290g pack of organic chicken sausages seasoned with French tarragon, made from Bostock Brothers' free-range certified organic chicken.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bostock Brothers chickens live twice as long as conventional meat chickens (8-10 weeks vs 38 days), resulting in superior flavour and texture as recognised by judges at the Outstanding NZ Food Producer Awards.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tegel Foods: New Zealand's largest poultry producer, processing up to 100,000 birds/day. Tegel is the closest direct competitor in the NZ fresh chicken market, though it serves conventional rather than organic/free-range premium positioning.
• Murray's Chicken: US premium chicken brand marketed as 'natural, antibiotic-free, and air-chilled.' Comparable product positioning and air-chilled processing technology, sold through premium grocery channels.
• D'Artagnan: US premium organic and free-range poultry and meat distributor, supplying top restaurants and specialty retailers. Comparable as an organic-credentialed, chef-endorsed protein brand targeting premium consumer and foodservice segments.
• Inghams Group: Australia and NZ's largest poultry producer and Bostock Brothers' acquirer in 2024. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated poultry operator with processing, wholesale distribution, and retail brands; Inghams operates at massive scale versus Bostock's premium niche.
• Bell & Evans: US-based premium chicken producer specializing in air-chilled, antibiotic-free, heritage-breed poultry. Closest international analogue to Bostock's air-chilling and welfare differentiation, serving premium retail and foodservice channels.
• Mary's Chicken (Pitman Family Farms): California-based heritage-breed, air-chilled chicken producer raising birds on pasture. Directly comparable to Bostock for organic/free-range positioning, air-chilling technology, and farm-to-fork storytelling.

Others

• Countdown (Woolworths NZ): NZ's largest supermarket chain and Bostock Brothers' key retail partner. Included as a critical channel partner rather than competitor; comparable to Bostock as a customer/distribution touchpoint for premium NZ food brands.
• Pic's Peanut Butter: NZ premium food brand with similar direct-to-consumer and supermarket presence, founder-led storytelling, and export ambitions. Comparable as a NZ premium CPG brand archetype, though in a different category.

Emerging players

• Herb Fed Chicken (Devon-based): UK free-range chicken producer emphasizing pasture foraging and slower growth, similar welfare and flavour differentiation story. Comparable emerging niche player in premium chicken though at smaller scale.

Broad incumbents

• SPCA Certified Producers (NZ): Animal welfare certification body whose accredited producers compete in the NZ free-range/ethical poultry segment. Represents the broader category of welfare-certified NZ poultry against which Bostock differentiates with organic plus air-chill claims.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bostockbrothers
• Instagraminstagram.com/bostockbrothers

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bostock Brothers