Like fine wine and George Clooney, beef gets better with age. Inspired by Galician beef from northern Spain, The Vintage Beef Company's farmers are turning their breeding cattle out to pasture for blissful retirement, where they feed entirely on grass and are "finished" on quality pasture.

While European foodies are going wild for steaks from Spanish beasts, more specifically the Galician Blond or Rubia Gallega breed, as old as 17, The Vintage Beef Company is allowing their roamers to mature in a relaxed environment until they are upwards of five years old for the British breeds and more than nine years of age for wagyu.

That's old in beef years.

Most Australian cattle are slaughtered before they reach 22 months.

'Because the cows are older, the meat has a rich, developed grass-fed flavour alongside superb marbling," says Trevor Fleming, marketing and communications manager with Greenham Gippsland.

"The result is a distinct and unique eating experience, enjoyed by Spaniards for years".

"The cattle are British and European breeds such as angus, hereford, murray grey, devon, shorthorn and charolais along side wagyu, all produced by Premium MSA Standard farmers in south-east South Australia, Western District of Victoria, Gippsland and Tasmania," adds Fleming.

"To have good pasture, you need reliable, consistent rainfall and a clean environment."

As the name suggests, grass-fedmeat comes from animals that have enjoyed an entirely pasture-fed existence. Feeding on different grass types, depending on region and climate, grass-fed cattle and sheep account for about two-thirds of overall beef and sheep meat production in Australia, the Meat and Livestock Association says.

"Grass-fed beef is regarded as having more flavour due to the diet of the livestock – richer and fuller –while grain-fed meat can be softer but not as punchy in flavour," says Fleming.

"As long as the cows have access to good quality pasture and they are finished when they are processed, they should make the grade of Marble Score 2+."

The Vintage Beef Company's product is most similar in flavour to the Vaca Vieja (old cow) beef from Spain and France.

However, the fat coverage on the surface of the beef is deeper,which protects the loin muscle (rib-eye, porterhouse) during the dry-ageing process.

"Due to the access we have to high-quality pastures all year round, we are the only product from the Australian beef supply chain with a comparable depth of flavour to the European product," says Fleming.

"Ultimately, the brand is about value adding this type of cattle and taking them out of the commodity sphere where they might just have been used for lower-priced export meat or for hamburgers."

Chefs are always looking for interesting products to add to their offering and The Vintage Beef Company answers this call.

"Rump or short-rib cuts deliver the most flavour. My favourite cut is the scotch fillet, cooked simply on the grill with olive oil and salt," says Fleming.

"Our beef is on menus of top restaurants such as Neil Perry's Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney and Frank Van Haandel's Stokehouse in St Kilda, Melbourne."