Australian wagyu is world's best - for the second time
23 September 2016
Australia's Jack’s Creek Wagyu beef has taken out the award for the world’s best steak for the second year in a row.
Announced at the second annual World Steak Challenge in London this week, Jack’s Creek beat 82 entries from 16 countries to be named the best in the business, wowing the judges with its flavour, tenderness and consistent eating quality.
There were nine gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze medals awarded. Australian entries dominated the gold taking three gold standard awards. Gold medals also went to JBS Australia's JBS Royal brand (120 day grainfed Angus cross) and Australian Agricultural Company's Darling Downs brand (300+ days grainfed Wagyu).
Jack’s Creek Managing Director Patrick Warmoll said he was overwhelmed with the achievement.
“I can’t believe we’ve managed to win again. We thought we might be at the pointy end of the competition but to win two years in a row is just unbelievable," he said.
“We’ve always been confident in producing good beef, but this award really cements the fact that we are on to a winning formula.”
Patrick said the award was not only great for Jack’s Creek, but the overall perception of Australian beef and reinforced the industry's reputation on a global stage.
"The key for us has always been consistency. We’ve always felt like the underdogs but it just goes to show when you’re on to a good thing you stick to it," he said
MLA International Business Manager for Europe and Russia Josh Anderson, who was also a competition judge, said the 2016 entries reached new heights of quality and taste.
“I was looking for a combination of tenderness, juiciness, flavour and just the right amount of marbling. Tasting that number of steaks in one day, you have to be fully committed to judging each mouthful so it was the small differences from entry to entry that made the winning steak truly stand out,” he said.
"Our industry works hard to produce some of the finest beef in the world. My job in Europe is to put the spotlight on Australian beef as a premium product, and, through competitions like this, reinforce the benefits of beef as an important protein that can be celebrated and enjoyed as part of a healthy diet.”
The World Steak Challenge competition is organised by William Reed Business Media - publisher of international news website GlobalMeatNews.com and UK trade publication Meat Trades Journal. The event was launched last year to offer producers the chance to benchmark their products against their competitors.
Fourteen industry experts, including producers, butchers and meat scientists did initial tastings followed by a consumer-based judging panel of chefs, food writers, bloggers and industry specialists, who awarded the best steak.
Each entrant submitted a whole striploin portioned into sirloin cuts. The competition awarded nine gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze medals for individual cuts, as well as the World's Best Steak. Entries were up 20% up on last year and an additional seven countries were involved. Entries came from from England, Ireland, the Holland, Finland, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil, Canada, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, France, the US and Japan and dominated with Wagyu-cross breeds.
Information:
Josh Anderson E: janderson@mla.com.au
