Kiwi steaks win gold at the competition to find the ‘World’s best steak’

New Zealand has once again punched well above its weight, winning five golds at the World Steak Challenge, taking place in Ireland. Of the 450 entries from 28 countries, a handpicked 55-day aged beef ribeye steak from Kiwi producer Pure South has come away with three of those gold medals at the World Steak Challenge in Dublin.

Speaking to Heather du Plessis-Allan, Shane Kingston, General Manager of Sales at Alliance Group, said the strong showing at this year’s competition show that they’ve reached another level with their ribeye steak.

“We’ve been continuing to improve the quality of product that our farmers have provided us, [and these results] shows that we continue to develop product that absolutely stands really strongly against the criteria that the judges are looking for.”

The ribeye category was a top performer for Kiwi producers, with First Light Foods and ANZCO Foods also picking up a gold medal in the category.

In total, New Zealand-based beef producers shared seven medal awards this year.

Last night’s World Steak Challenge was the first held since 2019, due to COVID disruptions.

Now in its seventh year, the Challenge has become a popular benchmark for branded beef taste testing around the world. This year’s event received a record number of entries. A large judging panel of 50 independent meat and foodservice industry identities assessed entries on flavour, juiciness, tenderness, and overall liking.

Among this year’s 40-odd gold medal winners were entries from Uruguay, Denmark, Ireland, Australia, Poland, Austria, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Spain, Finland, Germany, England, Australia, Italy, the Czech Republic and Argentina. Grass-fed entries earned about two-thirds of the gold medals presented.

New Zealand has done exceptionally well in previous competitions, claiming numerous gold medals over the past six years.

Kit Arkwright, CEO of Beef + Lamb New Zealand pointed out this international recognition was something Kiwis can be proud of.

“New Zealand is renowned for producing the juiciest, the tastiest, the most succulent of steaks. It is no accident that when we go up against the rest of the world, more often than not, we come out on top. The reason for this sustained level of success is very simple, our farmers are the All Blacks of agriculture. Their ingenuity, passion and dedication mean we’re consistently placed on top of the world and Kiwis can be rightly proud of this success.”