Awards showcase outstanding NZ produce

The winners of New Zealand Pork’s annual pork, bacon and ham awards were announced at a gala dinner at Christchurch’s Sudima Hotel. Farmers, butchers, retailers and industry leaders gathered in Christchurch to celebrate the best flavours, styles and cooking innovations at the tenth annual New Zealand Pork, Bacon and Ham Awards.

The competition, which was judged at the end of June in Auckland, provided over 50 pork retailers from across the country with the platform to present the very best of their New Zealand born and raised pork products.

This year’s awards were sponsored by Halley Labels, Pacific Flavours and Five Star Pork, and hosted a record 223 entries, showcasing outstanding products from nine categories, divided among five bacon, two ham and two pork classes.

New Zealand Pork General Manager Sonya Matthews says over the past ten years the competition has grown into a nationally recognised event. “We are extremely pleased with the record number of entrants this year – especially because it is the competition’s tenth consecutive year. The number of entrants has progressively grown year-after-year, and we could not be happier with the quality of produce that is submitted,” she says.

In celebration of the competition’s success, this year included a special presentation for the Producer of the Decade, received by Ellesmere Butchery in Canterbury.

The awards also included categories that reflect the evolving demands of local consumers. The innovative category asks for entrants to showcase something new, while the convenient category looks for a quick and easy weekday meal that can be cooked in under 20 minutes.

Earlier this month, New Zealand Pork introduced the new Born and Raised in New Zealand pork labels for local retailers. Products carrying this label provide the assurance for Kiwi consumers that they are sourced from pigs that were born and raised with care by New Zealand farmers.

The 2017 Pork, Bacon and Ham Awards winners