The 2018 Steak of Origin awards have been decided and the results are in, with AngusPure taking out a gold and two silver medals in the 'Best of Brand' classes. AngusPure had dominated again, claiming the coveted gold medal for 'Best of Brand, wholesale and foodservice'.
Head Judge, Graham Hawkes, President of the NZ Chef’s Association and Executive Chef at the renowned Paddington Arms in Invercargill, oversaw proceedings on the day.
“The PGG Wrightson Steak of Origin is the pride of New Zealand’s red meat production - the celebration of all beef breeders in the country. This is how the industry decides the best tasting steak, helping to guide chefs like me on top quality produce."
For the entries to even reach the Grand Final they must have passed a series of stringent examinations. Initially, all 266 entries were sent to Carne Technologies where they were scientifically tested on tenderness, % cooking loss in weight, marbling, colour, water binding capacity and pH.
From there, only the very best 53 steaks went forward to the semi-final judging round where a 16-strong panel of chefs came together in Auckland to whittle that number down to the top three medallists in each of the eight categories.
BEST OF BRAND – RETAIL
Silver: AngusPure NZ, Tim and Kelly Brittain of Storth Oaks Angus, processed at Wilson Hellaby
BEST OF BRAND – WHOLESALE & FOODSERVICE
Gold: AngusPure NZ, Dave Fogarty of KauriDowns Angus, processed at Wilson Hellaby
Silver: AngusPure NZ, Tim and Kelly Brittain of Storth Oaks Angus, processed at Wilson Hellaby