Emma
Finland wins the 2018 World Steak Challenge
Yesterday (Wednesday 4th July) I took part in judging the 2018 World Steak Challenge in London. Steaks from 22 different countries and 4 continents were judged throughout the day.
Not the best weather for it (any cocktail or ice cream judging out there get in touch!!) but we all buckled down and did our duty.
The winning steak was a grass-fed Ayrshire produced by JN Meat International and reared in Finland. The steak won Best Grass Fed and Best Sirloin medals in the annual challenge.
Now in its fourth year, the World Steak Challenge 2018 was held at The Magic Roundabout in London where judges convened to test and rate sirloin, fillet and rib eye steaks 🥩
We were judging the entries on aroma, colour, flavour and marbling.
Gold, Silver and Bronze awards were given for Best Rib Eye, Best Fillet and Best Sirloin, with other accreditations for Best Grain Fed and Best Grass Fed, as well as the ultimate battle for the right to be named World’s Best Steak.
The 45 Gold medal winners included five category winners as well as the overall champion:
- The Best Sirloin, won by JN Meat International
- The Best Rib Eye won by JN Meat International
- The Best Fillet won by ABP Poland for a Grain Fed Simmental Cross
- The Best Grain Fed won by OSI International Holdings, Germany for a Rib Eye Angus
- The Best Grass Fed won by JN Meat International
Chair of the judges, the South African master butcher Alan Franck who works for Haywards Butchers in Tonbridge, Kent, was an excellent teacher. We had no idea where the beef was from or even grain or grass fed. It really was a blind tasting.
Congratulations to everyone involved.
