Buying a Quarter, Half or Whole Beef: Weights, Cuts & Freezer Space
What you actually get in a beef share, how much freezer space you need, the real per-kilo saving, and how the cut sheet works.
Buying beef by the quarter, half or whole animal is how families used to stock the freezer, and it's back for good reason: the per-kilo price of premium grass-fed beef drops sharply when you buy the whole thing.
What you actually get
A beef carcass isn't all steak. A typical breakdown of usable meat from a side:
- ~25–30% premium — scotch fillet, porterhouse, eye fillet, rump, sirloin
- ~30–35% roasting and casserole — topside, silverside, blade, chuck, brisket
- ~25–30% mince and diced — from the trim
- ~10% bones, shin, offal — stock gold
Quarter beef (~40–55kg of packed meat) — a "mixed quarter" is half front, half hind, so you get a spread of steaks, roasts and mince. Half beef (~80–110kg) — the standard family buy. Whole beef (~160–220kg) — for two households to split, or a serious freezer.
Exact weights vary with the animal — that's why it's sold as "approximately".
The cut sheet
When you order a half or whole, you tell us how you want it broken down:
- Steak thickness (2cm / 2.5cm / 3cm)
- Roast sizes (small family / large)
- How much mince vs diced from the trim
- Whether you want the offal, bones, and cuts like oxtail and cheek
- Sausages made from some of the trim (small fee)
If you don't want to think about it, our standard cut sheet is a sensible all-rounder.
Freezer space
Rough rule: 1kg of packed meat ≈ 1.5 litres of freezer space.
| Share | Packed weight | Freezer needed |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter | 40–55kg | ~85L — a large chest freezer drawer, or half a 200L chest |
| Half | 80–110kg | ~170L — a dedicated 200–250L chest freezer |
| Whole | 160–220kg | ~330L — a 400L+ chest freezer, or split with another household |
The saving
It varies with the market, but buying premium grass-fed beef by the half typically lands 20–35% below buying the same cuts individually — because you're taking the whole animal, trim and all, not just the glamour cuts. The mince and sausage alone often cover a chunk of the cost.
How it's delivered
Vacuum-sealed, labelled by cut, snap-frozen, delivered cold across Sydney (and Australia-wide for larger orders). You'll want to be home and have the freezer cleared.
Start on the bulk beef page, or read how much meat per person to sanity-check the quantity.
Frequently asked questions
How much meat is in a quarter, half or whole beef?
Roughly: a quarter gives 40–55kg of packed meat, a half 80–110kg, and a whole 160–220kg. Exact weights vary with the animal, which is why shares are sold as 'approximately'.
How much freezer space do I need for half a cow?
About 170 litres — a dedicated 200–250L chest freezer. Use the rule of 1kg of packed meat per 1.5 litres of freezer space. A quarter needs about 85L; a whole beef needs 330L+ or a second household to split with.
How much do you save buying beef in bulk?
Typically 20–35% below buying the same cuts individually, because you take the whole animal — trim, mince and bones included — not just the premium steaks. The mince and sausage yield alone often covers a large share of the cost.
What is a cut sheet?
It's your instructions for how the carcass is broken down — steak thickness, roast sizes, how much mince versus diced, whether you want offal, bones, oxtail and cheek, and whether some trim becomes sausages. We have a sensible standard sheet if you'd rather not choose.
How is a beef share delivered?
Vacuum-sealed and labelled by cut, snap-frozen, delivered cold-chain across Sydney and Australia-wide for larger orders. Be home for the delivery and clear the freezer first.