The Darling Downs has once again proven it’s yards ahead, with Stockyard’s Wagyu Kiwami crowned Australia’s best steak at the prestigious Royal Queensland Food and Wine Show (RQFWS) Branded Beef and Lamb Competition Awards at the Brisbane Showgrounds on Friday.
It’s the second year in a row the Wagyu Kiwami, produced at Jondaryan near Toowoomba, has steaked the coveted John Kilroy Cha Cha Char Grand Champion Branded Beef of Show title and the fourth in a row beef from the Darling Downs region has taken it out.
The Wagyu Kiwami beat 36 other entrants, with Chief Judge Elaine Millar describing it as an extremely well-balanced, superb judging and eating experience.
“It had an extraordinary juicy yet clean melt-in-your mouth butteriness along with rich beefy flavours that were complimented by sweet pureed macadamias and oyster mushrooms nuances – the perfect cut for on-trend live-fire cooking,” she said.
“Across all classes, our 2018 judging panels were immersed in a ‘best-ever’ experience due to the exceptional quality of this year’s entries, which highlights Australia’s position as a leader in the international beef market.”
Meanwhile Tasmanian-sourced lamb is proving tough to beat, with Melrose Wholesale Meats, based in Brisbane, claiming the title of Australia’s best lamb for their Tasmanian Royal, which was taken out last year by Woodward Foods Australia’s HRW Tasmanian Lamb.
Ms Millar said there was a beautiful poise between the generous clean juiciness and the fine texture of the Tasmanian Royal, both of which complimented one another.
“The subtle delicious gaminess and the sweet creamy biscuity flavours provided a perfect well-balanced flavour profile.”
The awards followed two days of judging this week, which saw 11 food experts including well-known executive chefs Richard Ousby of Stokehouse Q and Glen Barratt of Wild Canary, taste their way through 57 of the nation’s finest red meat products.
Some of today’s award-winning beef and lamb will now feature on the menu at the fine dining steakhouse restaurant at the Royal Queensland Show (Ekka), which is just 98 days away.
Check out who was snapped at the Brisbane Showgrounds enjoying Australia’s best beef and lamb!
Other winners included:
Lendlease Grain Fed Beef: JBS Australia for its JBS Riverina Angus
Lendlease Grass Fed Beef: JBS Australia for its Swift Premium
Super Butcher Wagyu Class AUS-MEAT Marble Score 1 to 5: Andrews Meat Industries for its Tajima Wagyu
Super Butcher Wagyu Class AUS-MEAT Marble Score 6+: Stockyard Pty Ltd for its Stockyard Wagyu Kiwami
Super Butcher Open Beef: JBS Australia for its Tender Valley Angus
Meat & Livestock Australia Branded Lamb Class 20kg or Less: Melrose Wholesale Meats for its Tasmanian Royal
Super Butcher Branded Lamb Class More than 20kg: Australian Wholesale Meats Qld for its Sovereign Lamb
Super Butcher Restaurant Trade Branded Lamb Class More than 24kg: Woodward Foods Australia for its Woodward Foods - Tasmanian Lamb
