Our Story
Willie and Susan bought Middlehurst Station from the Stevenson family in 1998 and moved here with their four young children Sophie, Henry, Lucy and Skye. Prior to this, Willie and Susan managed Cecil Peak and Mt Nicholas in the Lake Wakatipu basin. After a quarter of a century, we are proud to be running the station and our businesses alongside our children. Together, we embark on this remarkable journey, uniting generations and sharing a vision to create a sustainable family business.
“We don’t look around and pat ourselves on the back and say we own all this, we look around and say we are responsible for all of this.” – Willie Macdonald.
Family Focussed
At Middlehurst, family is at the core of everything we do. Each of us plays a unique role in shaping the station and the businesses that flow from it.
Willie and Susan are the guiding forces, overseeing the station and ensuring its legacy as a high-country farm continues to thrive. Henry manages day-to-day operations on the station, combining tradition with innovation to care for both the land and livestock.
At The Quarters, our luxury lodge, Henry’s wife Joy leads with warmth and attention to detail, creating an unforgettable experience for every guest who visits.
The Farm Store & Butchery is where our premium produce reaches the community. Skye manages the store with care and precision, while Sophie takes care of accounts, admin & HR and Lucy lead our wholesale and direct-to-customer sales, sharing the very best of Middlehurst with homes and restaurants around New Zealand.
None of this would be possible without our amazing team that we have behind us. Each of them playing a vital role in bringing Middlehurst to life. Together, we combine passion, expertise, and a deep respect for the land into everything we do.
Landscape and Environment
Middlehurst Station is situated in the rugged, arid, and remote mountains of the Awatere Valley in Marlborough, on the South Island of New Zealand. The station covers 16,550 hectares of land, ranging from the rolling Awatere River flats to the peaks of the inland Kaikoura ranges. With elevations ranging from 550 meters to 2500 meters, Middlehurst Station has some of NZ’s most challenging high country farming conditions.
Commitment to Sustainability
At Middlehurst Station, we care deeply about the environment and the impact our business has on it. We believe in operating our business sustainably and with a conscious focus on protecting and enhancing our biodiversity. As a small business, we know that environmental sustainability can feel overwhelming at times, but we take it one step at a time, just like the saying goes, "how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."
We have noticed a growing interest and inquisitiveness from consumers, and regulators about our supply chain and how we operate our business. People are particularly interested in how we care for the whenua (land) and how we protect and enhance biodiversity. We have been working on various initiatives, such as creating QE11 covenants to protect and enhance natural and cultural heritage sites on our land.
We also prioritize animal welfare, traceability, and transparency in our operations. We have taken steps to protect and enhance our wetlands by installing fences and conducting extensive predator control.
We are also conscious and reactive to the climate and the planet, ensuring that our business operations align with our values and contribute to a more sustainable future. Our hope is that everyone will make more conscious and informed decisions about the food they consume. By supporting sustainable and environmentally conscious businesses like ours, we can all play a part in protecting and enhancing our natural environment for future generations.
