What is the difference between grass and grain-fed beef? - Produce Awards

Jul 07, 2026

From pasture to plate, we break down the real differences between these two distinct styles.

Anyone who learned music will know the mnemonic, ‘All cows eat grass’. But this doesn’t make all beef ‘grass-fed’. Knowing the differences between grass- and grain-fed beef can help you make better choices as a consumer.

So what is the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef?

Grass-fed beef is from cattle that’s eaten grass its whole life. It may have a diet supplemented with grain in times of bad weather, but mostly it’s free to roam and munch on grass all day. You’ll find that grass-fed beef has a creamy, yellow hue to the fat. Grain-fed beef comes from cattle that’s been ‘finished’ on grain for at least 60 days. Some are finished for 100 days or more (premium beef like wagyu can be finished for up to 400 days).

“This helps to finish the animal fast, so it gets to size at a younger age,” explains Mark Brancatisano of Torello Farm who, with his wife Sophie O’Neill, won a 2023 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Award for their grass-fed Belted Galloway beef. “It also provides a more consistent appearance, with whiter fat and more marbling.”

A photo of Mark Brancatisano and his wife Sophie O’Neill leaning on a crate outside in a field of their farm, Torello Farm. — Mark Brancatisano and Sophie O’Neil, Torello Farm.

Grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef: does one taste better than the other?

“To me, grass-fed beef has a cleaner, purer flavour, whereas grain-fed is always going to be more tender, and has a fattier mouthfeel,” says chef, farmer and delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards National Judge Matt Moran.

O’Neill says that the flavour of grass-fed beef is more complex: “It’s a more intense ‘beef’ flavour. We find that with our beef, a little goes a long way.”

Butcher Darren O’Rourke says that the taste of grain-fed is sweeter, but the flavour doesn’t last as long.

“It’s a big hit to the palate, but then it disappears,” he says. “Whereas generally with grass-fed, it won’t be as sweet, but it lasts a lot longer. And it just tastes more like beef.”

Mark Brancatisano with his Belted Galloways at Torello Farm.

Grass-fed vs. grain-fed beef: which one is more ethical?

For those who consider animal welfare, grass-fed may be preferable, as the animal has been free to roam for longer.

“A big thing for us is that we know our animals live at least three years in a lovely paddock, living their best life, versus being in a feedlot,” O’Neill says.

Sustainability is also a consideration: “Grass-fed beef is always going to be more sustainable, because it’s from cattle that’s just eating grass,” Moran says. ‘With grain-fed, there’s growing and harvesting the crop, and then obviously, the animal is eating a lot.”

Lake Janis Farm: taking grass-fed beef to the next level

Set in an impossibly green valley in Western Australia’s Southern Forests, Julia and Dean Ryan are doing what no other cattle farmer is doing – raising Jersey steers for beef. Grass-fed Jersey beef.

Lake Janis cattle graze on multi-species pasture that thrives year-round, thanks to the Ryan’s regenerative, chemical-free farming practices.

But aren’t Jerseys dairy cows? Yes, they are. But they can also bring something entirely new – and surprisingly delicious – to the table with their meat.

“The meat is more tender, more flavoursome, and the fat is the star of the whole show,” Dean says.

While fat on grass-fed beef tends to have a more yellow tint to it, grain-fed beef has pure-white fat. However, Jerseys naturally produce a more yellow fat, and when they’re grass fed, the effect is even more pronounced. This fat is packed full of nutrients, including beta-carotene and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. This, combined with the fact that Jerseys are naturally slow-growing animals, delivers beef that is incredibly rich in flavour.

“We kind of have a double whammy, because they’re grazing on multi-species pastures all their life, plus there’s the genetics of being a Jersey,” Julia says. “So sometimes we’re getting super-yellow fat; yellow like gold.”

“It’s packed full of flavour; it tastes like butter. It’s a whole different experience.”

Related story: What does ‘free range’ really mean?

So incredible does this Jersey beef taste, and so impressive are the Ryans’ farming credentials, it’s seen Lake Janis Farm named as a National Finalist in the 2026 delicious. Harvey Norman Produce Awards.

“No one is doing what we’re doing,” Julia says. “People thought we were crazy. Originally, in the beginning, it was a hard slog. It’s taken us a good seven years to get to the place we’re at. But word starts to spread.

“It takes a while to change people’s minds, but they change eventually. We’re getting quite a following.”