Meet the Founder: Gamze Smokehouse
This October, we’re sitting down with Brendan Gamze, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Gamze Smokehouse, a third-generation butcher and smallgoods maker carrying on a family legacy that started in Wangaratta almost 40 years ago.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I’m the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Gamze Smokehouse. I have an MBA and I’m a butcher and smallgoods maker, third generation. I’m a husband and father of four kids, and we live in Wangaratta in Northeast Victoria.
I love food manufacturing and producing products that our customers appreciate, and more importantly, that my family enjoys and that are good for them.
What’s the story behind your brand? Did it start as a long-held idea, or did it come together quickly?
My father Felix opened his own butcher shop in Wangaratta in 1986, where he started making smallgoods for his local customers. In the early 2000s, customers began asking if he could use ethically raised, local, free-range pigs to make his ham, bacon and smallgoods. He teamed up with Glenn Jones from Limestone Pork in Yea, and together they spent many years selectively breeding traditional pig breeds to produce what we have today — exceptional genetics, raised to the highest standards.
Around the same time, customers were also asking for products free from chemical ingredients. After a lot of trial and error, and with help from the food scientists at Baker & Co Ingredients, Dad replaced all the commonly used chemical ingredients with natural alternatives — creating a clean-label product without compromising on flavour and aroma.
These steps are what Gamze Smokehouse is known for today: ethically farmed, chemical-free, hand-crafted smallgoods.
In 2013, after I finished university and became more involved in the business, we transitioned from a retail butcher shop into a dedicated smallgoods manufacturing business, wholesaling to retail outlets across the country.
What inspires you every day?
Producing the best possible product — one that’s a tribute to the principles my father Felix established many years ago. My kids are what inspire me most, and they’re front of mind when we make important decisions about our products. Our family legacy matters to us, and the Gamze name holds a great deal of pride for our family.
What challenges do you face?
As an artisan producer, consistency is everything — and making small batches by hand every week comes with its challenges. But it’s also what sets us apart from commercially made products in the market. Our animals vary with the seasons, and people’s tastes change throughout the year too. We’re a nose-to-tail manufacturer, so respecting the animal and making the most of every part is an important challenge we work through year-round.
Christmas is a huge event for our business, with production increasing by 50% in the months leading into the festive season. Coordinating our production schedules is always a challenge at this time of year.
What does the future look like for your brand?
It’s a really exciting time for us. We’re currently building a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Wangaratta that will support our growth for years to come. We’d love to see our products reach more people — though we’ll never be found in the big supermarkets. Instead, we’ll continue supporting the retailers who support Australian manufacturers. Growing our product range into new products our customers want is a key focus for us going forward.
What drew you to work with WholeLife?
WholeLife is a fantastic business that attracts shoppers who genuinely appreciate our products. The care they take to ensure the quality of their offering matters to us, and our relationship with them is strong, and one we’re excited to keep growing into the future.
