EBLEX launches Quality Standard Mark Excellence Awards

The awards incorporate three competitions - England’s Best Steak Pie 2015, England’s Best Sirloin Steak 2015 and England’s Best Innovative Steak 2015 - and aim to recognise and reward quality, innovation and excellence in beef and lamb production.

Any centre cut sirloin steak can be entered into England’s Best Sirloin Steak competition, providing it has come from an assured supply chain and has been matured for a minimum of 14 days. The three categories for entry are independent butchers and farm shops, multiple retailers or manufacturers/suppliers and catering butchers or foodservice operators/suppliers.

England’s Best Innovative Steak competition is open to any business operating in the retail or foodservice industry. Entrants can decide whether to enter an innovative cut or a more traditional cut presented in an innovative way. Judges are particularly keen to see steak cuts from the forequarter or other underutilised parts of the carcase.

Completed entry forms for the sirloin steak and innovative steak competitions must be received by Friday November 7 2014.

Foodservice operators -independents, groups, catering butchers and suppliers - and retailers - independent retail butchers and farm shops or multiple retailers and manufacturers - can also enter the competition to seek out England’s Best Steak Pie. Completed entry forms must be received by Friday November 28 2014.

Hugh Judd, awards organiser and foodservice project manager for EBLEX, said: “We created the Quality Standard Mark Excellence Awards to encourage innovation, promote best practice and recognise those businesses that are leading the way in terms of quality and innovation in steak products. Beef and lamb steaks are top selling products in both the retail and foodservice industries and a core part of EBLEX’s product development work – so we think it’s time to celebrate the best.”

Finalists will be notified in January and category and overall winners will be announced at a special awards ceremony in London on Wednesday April 22 2015.

For full details of the individual award schemes, and for terms and conditions of entry, visit www.eblextrade.co.uk or call Georgina Duff on 01932 877245.