A judges view, by Dr George R. Ujvary
This article is an adaptation of an article that was written for the October 05, Master Butchers Limited Newsletter.
Finally it’s over! The tastings have finished, the kings have been crowned and the South Australian 2005 Sausage King and smallgoods competition has finished for another year.
In July this year, two regional competitions were held in June and July at Moonta and Mount Gambier, culminating with the metropolitan competition and Grand Final in August at the Lion Hotel in North Adelaide.
Whilst there were a larger number of participants from the metropolitan area, the quality of the competition was just as fierce in the regional areas, with entrants in all categories providing the judges with an abundance of high quality meat products.
As a judge, it was not only my job to take into account the quality of the butcher or smallgoods makers’ product from a technical perspective, but also from the overall appreciation of the product from a consumer perspective.
We were given a number of criteria to evaluate each product, including appearance (both raw and cooked), aroma, flavour and texture.
The benefits of holding this competition to the South Australian meat industry are clear.
Firstly, from an individual point of view, winning the competition will be a great marketing point for the entrant. A win in this competition will allow them to stand tall amongst their peers and increase sales significantly.
This year’s winner of the 100% Pork Sausage and Bacon categories, Phillip Cimarosti from Colonel Light Meat and Smallgoods store, says that his sales “increased significantly†after winning in previous years. It would be safe to assume a similar response with this year’s collection of trophies.
Secondly, the process of competing will serve to improve the standard of products within the South Australian meat industry as a whole.
A winner of multiple awards this year – including Mettwurst, New and Innovative Product and Gourmet Open Class sausage – Robe Butcher Shop’s Michael Starke has noticed the contrast in results this year compared to previous years.
He says that “two years ago, it seemed to be all big companies from the metropolitan area winning. This year the results are more spread outâ€.
Asked what it takes to win in a competition like this, he says “Don’t compromise on the quality of your ingredients…be open to suggestions on how to improve your product…and enjoy what you makeâ€. Wise words indeed.
Overall, it was a great competition and the opportunity to judge the competition was fantastic from a personal perspective. I was not only able to sample the best of South Australia’s meat products but it was also a good learning experience for me too.
© 2005 Dr George R. Ujvary
