New Zealand’s best ham and bacon crowned
A butcher from Auckland and another in Hastings have taken out the top gongs at the New Zealand Bacon and Ham Awards.
Sam’s Butchery in Silverdale has scored the title of Supreme Bacon winner for their naturally cured maple streaky bacon at this year's NZ Bacon and Ham Awards.
The same butcher, north of Auckland, took out gold in the ham category in 2024 with their Mini Champagne Ham.
This year's winning cure, which took the butchers about a year to perfect, brings the "Sunday morning favourite" bacon, back to basics, Puvi Nadason from Sam's Butchery told RNZ's Morning Report.
Supreme ham winner Wild Game's old school pressed ham.
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The team at the family run business have an impressive list of prizes including best bacon in 2013 and 2018 and best sausage in 2023.
Nadason reckons the best way to eat bacon is fried, but chucking it in an airfrier for 5 mins at 180 degrees for also delicious.
Wild Game in Hastings took home the Supreme Ham Award this year for their old school pressed ham.
A judging panel spent three days tasting more than 250 pork products from 44 retailers before picking the best bacon and ham in the country.
Judge Kathy Paterson said the best bacon winner was quite different this year.
“As soon as I brought it up to my nose and took in the aroma, I thought, ‘Wow, this smells amazing.’ It just made you want to start eating it straight away, and I think that’s always a good sign.”
Supreme bacon winner Sams Butchery naturally maple streaky bacon.
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Judge Ginny Grant said it was the look of the winning ham that drew her in.
“From an aesthetic point of view, the ham really had that ‘wow’ factor when it was presented to the judges. A pressed ham is more of a traditional style, and not only did it look amazing, but it was also incredibly moreish, with great depth of flavour and impressive balance.”
Technical judge Brian Everton, of Cabernet Foods, said creativity made the winners stand out.
“From a technical point of view, they’re not easy products to make either, so it’s clear the producers put a lot of care and attention into getting them just right, and it’s paid off.”
More than 5400 votes were cast online for the People’s Choice Award which went to Peter Timbs Meats in Christchurch.
Earlier this year, Timbs won a prize in the sausage competition for their Italian Meatballs snag.
People's choice winner Peter Timbs Meats.
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