By Dan Satherley
For the fifth year in a row, a butcher from Canterbury has been named the country's best at making bacon.
Chris Brown of Ellesmere Butchery's sugar-cured middle bacon was the tastiest rasher of the competition, taking out the 100% New Zealand Bacon of the Year prize.
Mr Brown says it's because he makes bacon the old-fashioned way.
“It’s a long process, you can’t rush it. You have to let all the flavours all draw in,” says Mr Brown, whose award-winning bacon takes 10 days to perfect.
“You don’t want bacon to go and stew, you want to draw as much moisture out as possible," he says, "then we smoke it the traditional way.”
Head judge Anita Sarginson said not only did it taste good, it looked good too.
“You could tell there had been a lot of love and care applied to it, it really had that personal touch to it,” says head judge, Anita Sarginson.
It’s raw presentation was absolutely stunning, it didn’t falter from what it promised after it was cooked.”
Ellesmere Butchery, based just out of Christchurch in Leeston, beat out 53 other butcheries for the top prize. Butcheries from Auckland and Christchurch dominated the five categories.
Franklin Country Meats won gold in the shoulder bacon category, Avons Butchery Ltd won gold in streaky bacon, Sam’s Butchery gold in middle-eye bacon, Euro Deli Meats in dry-cured bacon, and Ellesmere Butchery's overall winner also winning gold in the middle bacon.
“I strive to have people love my product," says Mr Brown. "If we do well in business along the way, then that’s a plus. I guess that’s why any butcher is in the game, because they love the job.”
The judging panel was made up of 33 food writers, renowned chefs and industry experts.
Full list of winners:
100% New Zealand Bacon of the Year
Chris Brown of Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Christchurch
100% NZ Middle Bacon
Gold – Chris Brown of Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Christchurch
Silver – Murray “Buzz” Sattler of Buzz the Butcher, New Plymouth
Joint Bronze – Chris Brown of Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Christchurch
Joint Bronze – Johnathan Connolly of Angus Meats, Sockburn, Christchurch
100% NZ Shoulder Bacon
Gold – David Crosbie of Franklin Country Meats, Pukekohe, Auckland
Silver – David Crosbie of Franklin Country Meats, Pukekohe, Auckland
Joint Bronze – Jonathan Connolly of Angus Meats, Sockburn, Christchurch
Joint Bronze – Mike Hanson of Netherby Meats Ltd, Ashburton
100% NZ Streaky Bacon
Gold – Avon Rzoska of Avons Butchery (Ltd), Glen Innes, Auckland
Silver – Caroline Gaisford of Goodman Fielder, Auckland
Bronze – Dave Rossiter of Westmere Butchery Ltd, Westmere, Auckland
100% NZ Middle-Eye Bacon
Gold – Sam Nadason of Sam’s Butchery, Kelston, Auckland
Silver – Russell Brocks of Independent Meats Butchery
Bronze – John Borcovsky of Murchison Meats, Murchison, Auckland
100% NZ Dry-Cured Middle Bacon
Gold – Jacqui Johnstone of Euro Deli Meats, Christchurch
Silver – Chris Brown of Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Christchurch
Joint Bronze – Lucia Rodrigues of Grey Lynn Butchers, Grey Lynn, Auckland
Joint Bronze – Kurt Robinson of Cashmere Cuisine, Cashmere, Christchurch
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