Judging took place this week for the 100% New Zealand Bacon and Ham Awards, and here’s a sneak peak at what went on behind the scenes!

Winners will be announced Thursday 28th July so be sure to stay tuned to find out where you can pick up award-winning bacon and ham across the country.

How does the judging process work?

Judging was run across two days, with the supreme judging (choosing the best of the best bacon and ham) taking place on Tuesday afternoon. All products put before the judges are anonymously coded.

For each category there were three judges - one ‘technical’ judge (a butcher) and two ‘aesthetic’ judges (culinary experts).  The technical judges were looking at the uncooked product, while the aesthetic judges marked for the cooked product for taste, texture and aroma.

How many entries were received?

We received almost 200 entries in total, the majority of which was bacon.

What categories were judged?

There were seven bacon categories, including middle (3 types), streaky (2 types), shoulder and a newly introduced category of naturally cured.  Ham comprised of two categories – bone-in ham and boneless ham.

Medals and awards

Top entries in each category will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. From here a Supreme winner will be awarded – ‘best of the best’ from bacon and ham.

When will the winners be announced?

Winners will be announced at a formal dinner on Thursday 28th July and will be published here as well as announced on social media.

How will I know I’m buying medal winning products?

All medal winners will be supplied with special labels to use on their winning products – so keep you eyes out for these medals on pack!