Hell Pizza Takes Australia's Kangaroos Hostage

Hell Pizza Takes Australia's Kangaroos Hostage

The latest instalment in the HELL wild pizza series, THE BOOMER, is set to be released in stores from Friday the 4th of July.

Featuring tender strips of wild kangaroo rubbed in native Australian spices, complemented by char-grilled Peppadews, Macadamia nuts & cream cheese served on a spiced salsa base, THE BOOMER offers yet another unique flavour combination to consumers.

“We have put a lot of effort into fine-tuning the ingredients for this pizza,” says HELL General Manager Ben Cumming. “We’ve been trying all sorts of different wild meats, and settled on wild kangaroo primarily because it makes a damned tasty pizza, but it also ticks the sustainability box, it’s a premium meat option being high in fibre and low in fat, and it will probably be something totally new for our customers to try.”

Like the wild rabbit pizza, which launched the wild pizza series, wild kangaroo is both a sustainable food source and ethically harvested.

“When we introduced the wild rabbit pizza, there was a lot of interest around ethics and sustainability from the New Zealand public. We are sure the wild kangaroo pizza will spark more public debate, and we’re very confident that the pizza stacks up on flavour and ethical grounds.”

“Kangaroos are very well managed in Australia, which means you can eat it with a clear conscience,” adds Ben. “Each year, government authorities estimate kangaroo populations and then give a quota. It certainly hasn’t dented the numbers. They are still one of the most abundant large wild land mammals on earth with around a million in the wild. Many veterinary and animal welfare groups, conservation organisations and ecologists support the kangaroo harvest and it even has RSPCA approval.”

In typical HELL fashion, an unprecedented marketing campaign will be run alongside the pizza launch. “Without giving too much away, both consumers and media alike can look forward to poking a little bit of fun at our rivals across the ditch,” says Ben.

HELL has sourced 670kg of wild kangaroo meat from Queensland, NSW and expects to sell around 6,500 pizzas. THE BOOMER will be available from Friday 4th July until stocks last, and cost $21 for double size and $10 for snack size. Customers are advised to get in quick as stocks are not expected to last much beyond 2-3 weeks.

More information on the kangaroo industry in Australia can be found on the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia website www.kangaroo-industry.asn.au. For more information on HELL pizza please visit the website www.hellpizza.co.nz.

FIVE FAST ROO FACTS

1) Kangaroos don’t emit methane – unlike cows and sheep – which could help reduce damaging greenhouse gas emissions.

2) The kangaroo meat industry only harvests non-endangered species.

3) Kangaroo meat is lean, low in saturated fat and provides Omega 3 fats and all the essential amino acids necessary for wound repair and cellular growth. It's also a great source of iron and zinc.

4) Kangaroos live and travel in organized groups or "mobs," dominated by the largest male. Male kangaroos are called BOOMERS, bucks or jacks; females are does, flyers, or jills, and the young ones are joeys. The collective noun for kangaroos is a mob, troop or court.

5) The word "kangaroo" comes from an aboriginal group’s word for the Gray Kangaroo, "gangurru." The word “kangaroo” was first recorded as "Kangooroo or Kanguru" in 1770 by British explorer James Cook.

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