Luv-a-Duck

Luv-a-Duck is an Australian duck-meat company founded in 1968 by Arthur “Art” Shoppee in Nhill, Victoria. It began as a small backyard duck-farming operation and developed into a vertically integrated agribusiness covering breeding, incubation, duck growing, processing, packaging and distribution. The company is associated with the development of Australia’s commercial duck-meat sector and was a founding member of the Australian Duck Meat Association. The business expanded progressively from its rural Victorian base. During the 1990s and early 2000s, it imported breeding stock from the United Kingdom to strengthen and improve its genetic lines. A Victorian parliamentary report described the company as processing as many as 55,000 ducks a week and generating annual turnover of more than A$20 million in 2003. Later industry material reported production of more than 100,000 ducks weekly, with approximately 30% of output directed to Asian markets. The company also exports duck feathers, principally to China, although poultry-export restrictions connected with avian-influenza outbreaks have periodically disrupted these flows. Luv-a-Duck supplies Australian supermarkets, restaurants, food-service operators and specialist customers. Its product portfolio includes whole ducks, fresh portions, marinated products, ready-to-cook items and pre-cooked or otherwise value-added duck foods. Its retail products have been distributed through major supermarket chains including Aldi, Coles and Woolworths. The company’s restaurant and food-service exposure became especially significant during the COVID-19 pandemic: when government restrictions closed indoor hospitality venues, Luv-a-Duck reported losing about 70% of its food-service market and reduced processing activity at Nhill, resulting in the removal of more than 60 jobs in 2020. The company’s operations have expanded beyond Nhill. By 2024, it was reported to employ almost 300 people across facilities in Nhill, Ballarat and Port Melbourne. Its Port Melbourne presence also includes a cooking school that provides public instruction in preparing and cooking duck. This educational activity supports the brand’s role not only as a meat supplier but also as a consumer-facing food brand. Luv-a-Duck remains closely associated with the Shoppee family. Daniel Shoppee, the founder’s grandson, serves as chief executive. The brand has used culinary marketing to make duck more accessible to Australian home cooks and has been represented by Diana Chan, winner of MasterChef Australia 2017. Its positioning combines Australian provenance, specialist poultry production, retail convenience and restaurant-quality cooking applications. The company has also played a local employment role in Nhill. By 2017, it had employed as many as 60 Karen refugees as part of efforts connected with workforce development and refugee settlement. Luv-a-Duck’s history includes a significant regulatory controversy: in 2013, the Federal Court fined the company A$360,000 for misleading representations that its ducks were “range-reared and grain-fed” when they were raised indoors. The court also required corrective advertising and compliance measures. Despite that setback, the company continues to operate as an active Australian duck producer and branded food business.

Luv-a-Duck was established in 1968 in Nhill, Victoria, by Arthur “Art” Shoppee. The enterprise began with backyard duck farming and gradually developed into a commercial poultry business. Its early growth reflected the emergence of a more organized Australian duck-meat industry, in which Luv-a-Duck later became a founding member of the Australian Duck Meat Association. Over subsequent decades, the company expanded the scope of its operations. Rather than concentrating solely on final meat processing, it developed an integrated production model involving breeding, incubation, growing and processing. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Luv-a-Duck imported breeding stock from the United Kingdom to improve its genetic lines. A Victorian parliamentary report recorded processing capacity of up to 55,000 ducks per week and annual turnover above A$20 million in 2003. The company subsequently broadened its product and market reach. It supplied whole ducks and fresh cuts while also introducing marinated, pre-cooked and other value-added products designed for retail and professional kitchens. Australian supermarket distribution included Aldi, Coles and Woolworths. Its restaurant and food-service business became an important part of the operating model, alongside exports to Asian and Middle Eastern markets. Industry material has described production exceeding 100,000 ducks per week, with roughly 30% destined for Asian customers. Luv-a-Duck also shipped duck feathers to Asia, especially China. Export activity was periodically affected by avian-influenza-related trade restrictions. Export disruptions were reported in 2012 and 2020 when disease outbreaks led to bans affecting Australian poultry products. These events illustrated the exposure of the business to biosecurity rules and international market access, in addition to ordinary agricultural and food-service risks. In 2013, Luv-a-Duck faced a major compliance and reputation issue. The Federal Court found that the company had made misleading representations about its farming conditions by promoting its ducks as “range-reared and grain-fed” when the birds were raised indoors. The court ordered a A$360,000 fine, corrective advertising and compliance measures. The case became a significant episode in the brand’s public history because it directly concerned the way production methods were communicated to consumers. Luv-a-Duck also developed a consumer education function. It operates a cooking school in Port Melbourne where members of the public can learn about duck preparation and cooking techniques. Culinary marketing has included the use of Diana Chan, the winner of MasterChef Australia 2017, as a brand ambassador. These activities support the company’s effort to position duck as a manageable ingredient for home cooks rather than only a restaurant specialty. The COVID-19 pandemic created a severe short-term shock. In 2020, government restrictions on indoor hospitality venues caused the company to lose approximately 70% of its food-service market. Luv-a-Duck reduced processing days at Nhill and cut more than 60 jobs. The episode demonstrated the importance of restaurants and catering to the company’s sales mix, while also encouraging reliance on retail and other channels. The business remained connected to its original community and family ownership history. It employed as many as 60 Karen people at its Nhill facilities by 2017, linking local workforce development with refugee resettlement. Daniel Shoppee, the founder’s grandson, serves as chief executive. By 2024, the company was reported to employ almost 300 people across facilities in Nhill, Ballarat and Port Melbourne. Luv-a-Duck therefore represents a substantial Australian specialist poultry business whose identity combines regional production, integrated agribusiness, branded food manufacturing and culinary education.

• 2024

  Multi-site Victorian workforce

  [1]Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org

  Luv-a-Duck is reported to employ almost 300 people across Port Melbourne, Ballarat and Nhill.

• 2020

  COVID-19 causes food-service contraction

  [1]Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org

  The company reports a sharp fall in restaurant demand, reduces processing activity and removes more than 60 jobs.

• 2013

  Federal Court penalty for misleading representations

  [1]Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org

  The company is fined A$360,000 and ordered to undertake corrective advertising and compliance measures.

• 2003

  Commercial scale documented

  [1]Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org

  A Victorian parliamentary report records processing of up to 55,000 ducks weekly and annual turnover above A$20 million.

• 1968

  Luv-a-Duck is founded in Nhill

  [1]Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org

  Arthur “Art” Shoppee establishes the business as a small-scale duck-farming operation in Nhill, Victoria.

Australian duck specialist combining vertically integrated production with supermarket, restaurant and export distribution. The brand emphasizes practical cooking, product convenience and locally based agricultural production.

• Fresh poultry

  Whole ducks

  Whole ducks are a core Luv-a-Duck offering for household cooks, restaurants and food-service customers. They are positioned as a versatile base for roasting, braising and other traditional or contemporary preparations. The product connects the company’s primary agricultural output with its consumer-facing brand identity.

• Fresh poultry

  Fresh duck cuts

  Fresh portions provide duck in formats suited to different recipes and commercial kitchen requirements. Cuts support retail shoppers who do not need a whole bird as well as restaurants seeking consistency in preparation and portion control. Specific cut names and launch dates are not established in the supplied sources.

• Prepared poultry

  Marinated duck products

  Marinated products add seasoning and preparation convenience to the company’s duck range. They form part of Luv-a-Duck’s value-added portfolio and are intended to make duck easier to prepare in domestic and food-service settings.

• Convenience food

  Pre-cooked and value-added duck products

  Pre-cooked and other value-added products extend the brand beyond raw poultry. They are designed for faster preparation and broader retail use, helping translate restaurant-style duck dishes into more convenient home and food-service formats.

• Agricultural by-product

  Duck feathers

  Duck feathers are an associated output of the company’s integrated processing activities and have been exported to Asian markets, particularly China. Trade in this by-product has been exposed to poultry-export restrictions during avian-influenza-related disruptions.

• 2013

  Misleading representations about farming conditions

  The Federal Court found that Luv-a-Duck had misleadingly promoted its ducks as “range-reared and grain-fed” even though they were raised indoors. The company was fined A$360,000 and required to publish corrective advertising and implement compliance measures.

  Source

Read more

• 2017Nhill workforce and refugee employment program

  Australia

  Luv-a-Duck employed as many as 60 Karen people at its Nhill facilities as part of local workforce development and refugee resettlement efforts.

  Outcome. The initiative supported employment and settlement in the Nhill region; the supplied material does not provide a formal campaign evaluation.

  Source
• Diana Chan brand ambassadorship

  Australia

  Luv-a-Duck used Australian chef and MasterChef Australia 2017 winner Diana Chan as a brand ambassador, linking the company with culinary expertise and consumer cooking inspiration.

  Outcome. The supplied material does not quantify campaign performance or specify an end date.

  Source
• Port Melbourne cooking school

  Australia

  The company operates a public cooking school in Port Melbourne offering instruction on duck preparation and cooking techniques.

  Outcome. The school extends the brand into culinary education and consumer engagement; attendance and commercial results are not specified.

  Source

• 2020

  Reduce processing activity during the COVID-19 hospitality shutdownStrategy

  Background

  Government restrictions on indoor venues sharply reduced restaurant and catering demand. The company stated that it had lost approximately 70% of its food-service market.

  Action taken

  Luv-a-Duck reduced processing days at its Nhill plant and removed more than 60 positions.

  Aftermath

  The decision reflected the company’s dependence on hospitality customers and the immediate effect of pandemic restrictions on poultry processing.

  Source

• 2013

  Implement corrective measures after Federal Court rulingOther

  Background

  The court determined that the company’s descriptions of duck-rearing conditions were misleading.

  Action taken

  The company was required to pay a A$360,000 penalty, issue corrective advertising and adopt compliance measures.

  Aftermath

  The ruling created a formal record concerning the accuracy of the brand’s production and farming claims.

  Federal Court penalty. A$360,000 (2013)

  Source

• 2024

  Luv-a-Duck expands its workforce across Victorian facilities[1]Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company was reported to employ almost 300 people across facilities in Port Melbourne, Ballarat and Nhill.

• 2021

  Luv-a-Duck reports strong revenue for the 2021 financial year[1]Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Australian Financial Review reporting cited revenue of A$86.4 million for the 2021 financial year.

• 2020

  Luv-a-Duck cuts more than 60 jobs during COVID-19 disruption[1]Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The company reduced processing days at its Nhill plant after pandemic restrictions caused a reported loss of about 70% of its food-service market.

1. 1Luv-a-Ducken.wikipedia.org