Our Company

About Us

Australia’s Favourite Duck

Luv-a-Duck is a proud Australian and family owned business since 1968.

From humble beginnings, Luv-a-Duck has grown to become Australia’s leading duck producer, a vertically integrated agribusiness with a reputation for innovation and quality. Our journey started with a simple love of flavour and family in Arthur Shoppee's backyard in the 1960s. Today, that same love makes us the duck of choice for homes and restaurants across Australia.

Luv-a-Duck is 100% Australian and family-owned and made, based in the Wimmera region of Victoria. Our mission is to put duck on every dish. Offering a versatile range of products, including the nation's only ready-to-eat cooked chilled range, as well as fresh and frozen options, Luv-a-Duck makes duck an easy and delicious choice for everyone.

In the Beginning

In 1958, when 20 year old Art Shoppee moved to Nhill in the heart of the Victorian Wimmera to take over a dry cleaning business, he had no idea that destiny was calling. Some years later, after a very successful trial raising 20 ducklings in his back shed and selling them to restaurants in Adelaide, Art realised there was a market for these feathered delicacies and conceived the idea of a major duck breeding business.

A Risky Business

Initial results, after moving his expanding venture to a nearby farm, were not promising. The ducks were raised in open pens, exposed to heat, rain, crows and foxes. This almost led to ruin until the first protective sheds were introduced. Back in these early days processing was done manually and gradually automation was incorporated.

Don't Quit

A string of disasters left Art wondering if it was worth continuing. Fire destroyed the processing plant on two separate occasions and then another fire killed 8,000 ducklings. However, Art’s determination to succeed and do things well, along with a poem handed to him by his father entitled "Don't Quit", allowed him to rebuild and move forward.

Today’s Luv-a-Duck

We are Australia’s leading producer of various duck products with our own sales and distribution centres in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and distributors in all other cities. We export Australia’s Favourite Duck to Asia, South East Asia, the Pacific Islands and to the Middle East. making us the top choice for retailers, manufacturers, and caterers nationwide.

We take pride in being a world leader in the industry, continually setting the standard. Our responsibility to the natural environment and our community is the driving force behind everything we do. It is our aim to provide our customers with high-quality duck products through a sustainable business that evolves according to demands and trends by customers.

To further support our customers, we operate a premium cooking school in Port Melbourne, where we teach everyone — from home cooks to professionals — how to cook duck with confidence and creativity. Our classes highlight the versatility of our products, inspiring participants to incorporate duck into their everyday meals.

At Luv-a-Duck, we believe in more than just producing great food—we support our local communities. We contribute to the local economy through employment, supporting regional suppliers, and sponsoring community initiatives. By maintaining sustainable practices and a deep connection to the land, we ensure our products not only taste great but create a positive impact for future generations. From our table to yours, we are dedicated to delivering the highest quality duck while giving back to the communities that shape our story.

Company Profile

The Company

Family owned and managed, Australian company
Established in the 1960s
Stable and experienced senior management team
Fully integrated operation, including Egg Production, Breeding, Hatching, Growing, Processing, Marketing, Selling and Distribution divisions

Location

Luv-a-Duck farms are located in the sunny and spacious Wimmera wheatlands in Western Victoria, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide
The main farm is on 200 hectares and surrounded by thousands of hectares of grain fields
Isolation enables the enforcement of strict quarantine procedures to prevent disease
Mild climate
Unlike European and American farms, where due to extreme weather climates ducks are raised in heavily insulated barns, Luv-a-Duck ducks enjoy clean, light and airy, open sided, sheltered enclosures
Luv-a-Duck products are sold and distributed throughout Australia
Luv-a-Duck exports to South East Asia, Pacific Islands and the Middle East

Statistics

Largest fully integrated duck operation in the Southern hemisphere
Employs over 200 people
Accommodates over 400,000 ducks on 6 specialised sites
Produces up to 105,000 ducks a week

State of the Art

Luv-a-Duck is a world leader in the industry
Ducks are selected in an advanced quarantine breeding division
Incubated and hatched in the latest automated units
One of the founding members and instrumental in the foundation of the Australian Duck Meat Association (ADMA) over 20 years ago, which led to the development of the Farm Biosecurity Manual for the Duck Meat Industry.

The Luv-a-Duck Breed

Unique white Pekin type breeds developed from local and imported strains
Fed on the best quality grains grown in the sunny Wimmera wheatlands of Western Victoria
Grown under the watchful eye of specialists in husbandry, nutrition and veterinary care
Processed at approximately 6 weeks of age
Producing a fully flavoured, tender, lean, meaty duck

Market Segments

Foodservice
Asian Foodservice
Retail Meat Departments
Airlines
Contract Packing
Export

Each of these segments is specialised and has individual requirements for both the finished products and customer requirements.

Luv-a-Duck’s Point of Difference

Our duck products are consistently tender, meaty, high quality and hygienically processed and packed
We offer a wide variety of innovative value added portion control duck products
Produced in an ethical and environmentally sustainable manner in the world’s cleanest environment

Meeting And Exceeding Standards

21st Century Duck

Luv-a-Duck is constantly improving quality, crafting new dishes and researching more convenient ways to present duck for consumers.
Our mission is to put duck on every table in Australia, ensuring that everyone can enjoy the rich flavours, versatility and ease of duck, whether at home or in the finest restaurants.

Accreditation

Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (AQIS) Export licence No. 178
AQIS Meat Safety Quality Assurance (MSQA) No. 530
Victorian Meat Authority No. A31
HACCP based Food Safety System
Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority (AVA) of Singapore approval

Awards

2017 Family Business Awards

Hall of Fame

Luv-a-Duck was inducted into the Family Business Australia VIC Hall of Frame 2017, in recognition of our contribution to the success of Australia’s economy, community and culture.