Steak of Origin News
18 December 2018
For Immediate Release
PGG WRIGHTSON ON BOARD AS STEAK OF ORIGIN GETS NEW HOME
Beef + Lamb New Zealand are proud to announce PGG Wrightson have taken on naming rights of the annual Steak of Origin competition and will be hosting the Grand Final taste test at the Mystery Creek Fieldays, in Hamilton in June.
The PGG Wrightson Steak of Origin competition aims to find the country’s most tender and tasty steak and since its inception sixteen years ago, has been keenly contested by New Zealand farmers and retail brands.
General Manager Livestock at PGG Wrightson, Peter Moore sees huge value in the competition and is excited to have the final judging under their Fieldays marquee next year.
“We are thrilled to be on board and support a competition that is so well established and highly regarded within our industry,” says Moore.
“The industry has seen major advancements in terms of the production of beef over the years, resulting in providing both local and global consumers a quality eating experience. The competition offers a platform to showcase this skill along with the dedication our New Zealand beef farmers have.”
Entries are now open to all New Zealand beef farmers, retailers, wholesalers and foodservice suppliers, who can enter into one of the eight farmer or brand categories.
All competition entries are aged for three weeks before undergoing stringent scientific testing at Carne Technologies. The sirloins are tested for tenderness and eating quality including tests for pH, marbling and the percentage of cooking loss, which will determine which steaks make the semi-final.
Those steaks will be judged on aroma, juiciness, tenderness, texture and taste by a panel of culinary trained judges at the semi-final, held in Auckland on May 30. The top seven steaks from here will then go on to the Grand Final taste test.
Beef and Lamb Ambassador Chef and competition judge, Shaun Clouston from Logan Brown in Wellington says the competition allows him to connect with New Zealand farmers to better tell their story.
“The quality of beef I’ve seen in this competition is a true testament to New Zealand beef farmers. As a chef, I believe it is important to champion our producers and being involved in this competition allows me to do just that, giving our customers a deeper understanding of the product and where it comes from,” says Shaun.
The 2018 competition will award both a Grand Champion, from the farmer classes, and a Brand Champion, along with the top three finalists from each of the eight classes.
Entries are now open and will close Wednesday 14 February, 2018. For an entry form visit beeflambnz.co.nz or call 0800 733 466. The competition is supported by the following processing plants; AFFCO, Alliance Group, Cabernet Foods, Harris Meats Cheviot, Land Meat NZ, Oamaru Meats, Progressive Meats, Taylor Preston and Auckland Meat Processors / Wilson Hellaby.
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For more information, please contact:
Imogen Braddock
Marketing Assistant, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc
09 489 7119 | 021 073 7166
21 July 2017
For Immediate Release
THE NATION'S TASTIEST STEAK HAS BEEN NAMED
Last night, New Zealand’s most tender and tasty steak was announced at the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Steak of Origin competition awards dinner, held in association with PGG Wrightson.
Tim & Kelly Brittain from Otorohanga have been awarded the 2017 Grand Champion title for their Angus steak, in the competitions 15th year. Being recognised as the country's top beef producer is an achievement Tim and Kelly are extremely proud of.
The panel of judges, including renowned chefs, Ben Bayly, Gareth Stewart and Shaun Clouston completed two rounds of judging before the Brittains’ steak was deemed the county’s top from an initial line-up of 64 semi-finalists.
Chef judge, Shaun Clouston recognizes the way in
which this competition shines light on the country’s beef farmers,
acknowledging that the high quality of beef within the New Zealand food service is down to their fine-tuned farming
activities.
“The
paddock to plate link is one that New Zealanders are really interested in. It
is important for us chefs to appreciate this and understand that an outstanding
steak dish and dining experience starts well before the restaurant kitchen,” says
Clouston.
Prior to the judging day, scientists at Carne
technologies tested all 305 of the competition entries to determine the top 20%
in each competition class to progress through to judging.
The two rounds of judging had the chefs assess
each steak against a set of criteria such as aroma, tenderness, juiciness and
taste. The first round of judging determined the medal placings in each class,
results which were also announced at the awards dinner last night. From here
the gold medal winning steaks in each class, excluding Lifestyle, were
re-judged to decide the 2017 Grand Champion and the 2017 Brand winner.
The competition’s six Best of Breed classes were open to all New Zealand beef farmers and included classes for European, British Angus, British Hereford, British Other and Crossbreeds and a class for Lifestyle farmers. The Best of Brand competition included a class for retailers and a class for wholesalers and foodservice suppliers.
The 2017 Brand winner was also announced with Countdown taking home the title with their Countdown Angus brand and the Processor of the 2017 Grand Champion was Auckland Meat Processors/Wilson Hellaby.
The competition is sponsored by PGG Wrightson and supported by AFFCO Moerewa, Alliance Group Ltd, Ashburton Meat Processors, Auckland Meat Processors/Wilson Hellaby, Cabernet Foods, CMP Kokiri, Harris Meats, Land Meat NZ, Oamaru Meats, Progressive Meats, Silver Fern Farms and Taylor Preston.
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For more information, please contact:
Megan Claxton
Event Manager, Beef + Lamb New
Zealand Inc
09 489 7119/021 331 151
The
2017 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Steak of Origin award winners are;
2017 Grand Champion: Tim & Kelly Brittain, Otorohanga (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors/Wilson Hellaby
2017 Brand Winner: Countdown (Countdown Angus)
CLASS 1: BEST OF BREED – EUROPEAN
Gold:
AA & LA Partridge, Leeston (Simmental), processed at Ashburton Meat
Processors
Silver:
Jon Knauf, Wairoa (Simmental), processed at Land Meat
Bronze:
Malcolm Entwisle, Te Kauwhata (Simmental), processed at Auckland Meat
Processors
CLASS 2: BEST OF BREED – BRITISH : ANGUS
Gold:
Tim & Kelly Brittain, Otorohanga (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat
Processors
Silver:
Dougal Stringer, Gore (Angus), processed at Silver Fern Farms Finegand
Bronze:
Ceri Lewis, Otautau (Angus), processed at Silver Fern Farms Finegand
CLASS
3: BEST OF BREED – BRITISH : HEREFORD
Gold, Silver
& Bronze:
Robin & Jacqueline Blackwell, Inglewood (Hereford), processed at Land Meat
CLASS
4: BEST OF BREED – BRITISH : OTHER
Gold &
Bronze:
Graeme John Dyke, Pahiatua (Red Devon), processed at Silver Fern Farms Pacific
Silver: Anita
Erskine, Tuatapere (Shorthorn), processed at Silver Fern Farms Finegand
CLASS
5: BEST OF BREED – CROSSBREED & OTHER
Gold: AA & LA
Partridge, Leeston (Charolais Simmental X), processed at Ashburton Meat Processors
Silver: AA & LA
Partridge, Leeston (Simmental Angus X), processed at Ashburton Meat Processors
Bronze: Michael
McCool, Auckland (Wagyu), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
CLASS
6: BEST OF BREED – LIFESTYLE
Silver: Janie McPhee, Levin (Speckle Park), processed at Land Meat
CLASS
7: BEST OF BRAND – RETAIL
Gold &
Bronze:
Countdown (Countdown Angus), Auckland (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat
Processors
Silver: AngusPure (PAK’nSAVE Gisborne), Gisborne (Angus), processed at Silver Fern Farms Pacific
CLASS
8: BEST OF BRAND – WHOLESALE & FOODSERVICE
Gold: AngusPure (Neat
Meat), Auckland (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
Silver: Bowmont Meats
(Hereford Prime), Invercargill (Hereford), processed at Bowmont Meats
Bronze: Countdown (Countdown Angus), Auckland (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
04 July 2017
For Immediate Release
NZ’S TOP CHEFS GET READY TO DETERMINE THE COUNTRY’S BEST TASTING STEAK
A panel of New Zealand's top chefs is gearing up to decide on the country's most tender and tasty steak at the 2017 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Steak of Origin competition, held association with PGG Wrightson.
With the likes of Michael Meredith from Meredith’s restaurant
and Ben Bayly from restaurant’s Baduzzi and The Grove as judges, the country
can rest assured that the decisions made will be the right ones, Beef + Lamb
New Zealand Chief Executive Sam McIvor says.
“This competition celebrates New Zealand’s high
performing beef industry – both the people and the product,” says McIvor.
Open to all New Zealand beef
farmers, retailers, wholesalers and foodservice suppliers, the 2017 competition
awards a Grand Champion along with the top three finalists from each of the
eight classes - six farmer classes and two brand.
Farmer classes are open to all New Zealand beef farmers
and include six classes for the different breeds, European, British Angus,
British Hereford, British Other, Crossbreed and Other and Lifestyle. The brand
competition includes two classes retailers and wholesalers and foodservice
suppliers.
The steaks being judged are
in the top 20% of all entries as determined by Carne Technologies based on
tenderness, % cooking loss in weight, marbling, colour, water binding capacity
and pH. The panel of judges will determine
which steaks are awarded a class placing and decide on the top entry in each
farmer class, excluding Lifestyle, to progress to the final.
Chef judge, Ben Bayly is looking
forward to sitting on the judging panel alongside some of New Zealand’s best
chefs.
“Finding the country’s best
tasting steak is a job I’m sure any Kiwi would love. I have no doubt that the
quality of the steaks we will be tasting will be extremely high, an element
that is so important to us chefs,” says Bayly.
The chefs’ scores will
contribute to 40% of the overall score, with the tenderness result contributing
to 60%. Judging criteria of the cooked steak includes; aroma, taste/flavour,
tenderness, juiciness and texture.
The judging is being held on
12 July at Auckland’s University of Technology (AUT). Winners will be announced
at the Steak of Origin Awards Dinner in Auckland on Thursday 20 July.
The competition is sponsored
by PGG Wrightson and supported by AFFCO Moerewa, Alliance Group Ltd, Ashburton
Meat Processors, Auckland Meat Processors/Wilson Hellaby, Cabernet Foods, CMP
Kokiri, Harris Meats, Land Meat NZ, Oamaru Meats, Progressive Meats, Silver
Fern Farms and Taylor Preston.
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For more information, please contact:
Event Manager, Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Inc
09 489 7119/021 331 151
2017 BEEF + LAMB NEW ZEALAND STEAK OF ORIGIN SEMI-FINALISTS
CLASS 1: BEST OF BREED – EUROPEAN
· Malcolm Entwisle, Te Kauwhata
(Simmental), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· AA & LA Partridge, Leeston
(Simmental), processed at Ashburton Meat Processors
· Jon Knauf, Wairoa (Simmental),
processed at Land Meat
CLASS 2: BEST OF BREED – BRITISH : ANGUS
· Brian Bendall, Eketahuna (Angus),
processed at Silver Fern Farms Pacific x2
· Paul Bodle, Morrinsville (Angus),
processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· Tim & Kelly Brittain, Otorohanga
(Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors x2
· Forbes Cameron, Ashhurst (Angus),
processed at Land Meat x2
· Shaun Fouhy, Pahiatua (Angus),
processed at Silver Fern Farms Pacific x2
· Scott Gudsell, Masterton (Angus),
processed at Cabernet Foods
· Mike Harnett, Palmerston North
(Angus), processed at Land Meat x2
· Lindsay & Maria Johnstone,
Wanganui (Angus), processed at Land Meat
· Ceri Lewis, Otautau (Angus), processed
at Silver Fern Farms Finegand x3
· Howard Maxwell, Waiuku (Angus),
processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· Dougal Stringer, Gore (Angus),
processed at Silver Fern Farms Finegand
· Matt Wyeth, Masterton (Angus),
processed at Silver Fern Farms Pacific
CLASS 3: BEST OF BREED – BRITISH : HEREFORD
· Robin
& Jacqueline Blackwell, Inglewood (Hereford), processed at Land Meat x3
· John
Morrison, Marton (Hereford), processed at Land Meat
· Laurie
Paterson, Gore (Hereford), processed at Silver Fern Farms Finegand x2
CLASS 4: BEST OF BREED – BRITISH : OTHER
· Graeme
John Dyke, Pahiatua (Red Devon), processed at Silver Fern Farms Pacific x2
· Anita
Erskine, Tuatapere (Shorthorn), processed at Silver Fern Farms Finegand
CLASS 5: BEST OF BREED – CROSSBREED & OTHER
· John
& Jan Bellamy, Ruawai (Speckle Park X), processed at Silver Farm Farms
Dargaville
· Michael
McCool, Auckland (Wagyu), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· AA
& LA Partridge, Leeston (Charolais / Simmental), processed at Ashburton
Meat Processors
· AA
& LA Partridge, Leeston (Simmental / Angus), processed at Ashburton Meat
Processors x2
· AA
& LA Partridge, Leeston (Limousin X), processed at Ashburton Meat
Processors
· AA
& LA Partridge, Leeston (Simmental / Jersey), processed at SilverFern Farms
Belfast
· Katherine
Robertson, Piopio (Speckle Park), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· Tom
Savage, Gisborne (Hereford/Shortcorn X), processed at Land Meat x3
CLASS 6: BEST OF BREED – LIFESTYLE
· Janie
McPhee, Levin (Speckle Park), processed at Land Meat
CLASS 7: BEST OF BRAND – RETAIL
· AngusPure,
Otorohanga (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· AngusPure
(New World Melody's), Palmerston North (Angus), processed at Silver Fern Farms
Pacific x3
· AngusPure
(PAK’nSAVE Gisborne), Gisborne (Angus), processed at Silver Fern Farms Pacific
· AngusPure
(Chefs Choice), Wanganui (Angus), processed at Land Meat
· Bowmont
Meats (Hereford Prime), Invercargill (Hereford), processed at Bowmont Meats
· Countdown
(Countdown Angus), Auckland (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors x3
· Harris
Meats, Cheviot (Angus X), processed at Harris Meats
· Westmeat Christchurch (Hereford Prime), Christchurch (Hereford), processed at CMP Kokiri
CLASS
8: BEST OF BRAND – WHOLESALE & FOODSERVICE
· Angus
Meats (Angus Reserve), Christchurch (Angus), processed at Ashburton Meat
Processors
· AngusPure,
Otorohanga (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· Bowmont
Meats (Hereford Prime), Invercargill (Hereford), processed at Bowmont Meats
· Cabernet
Foods (Everton Dry Aged Beef), Carterton (Hereford), processed at Progressive
Meats
· AngusPure
(Chefs Choice), Wanganui (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· Chef
Ready Meats, Hamilton (Hereford), processed at AFFCO Horotiu
· Countdown
(Countdown Angus), Auckland (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· Hip
Group, Waimauku (Shorthorn), processed at Auckland Meat Processors
· Angus
Pure (Neat Meat), Auckland (Angus), processed at Auckland Meat Processors