STONE Axe Pastoral has again won the Wagyu branded beef competition, reinforcing the operation's place as outstanding producer of luxury Australian beef.
Announced at the WayguEdge Conference's gala dinner on the Gold Coast on Wednesday night, the grand champion steak came from a fullblood black steer, which had been fed for 350 days and processed at John Dee, Warwick.
Stone Axe also won the prestigious Australian Wagyu Association competition in 2020, and again came out on top in this year's event, which fielded a record 36 entries.
The other gold medal category winners were: Connors Wagyu - Direct Meat Company (open crossbred) and Okan Wagyu - Pardoo Beef Corporation, WA (commercial).
The judges described the Stone Axe entry as having "unbelievable richness, complex flavours of sweetness, dairy and cereal, melt in your mouth juiciness with an exquisite tender and silky finish."
The grand champion Stone Axe steak had 54 per cent marbling, 75.1 marbling fineness and a 99 square cm eye muscle area.
Stone Axe has operations at both Ebor in northern NSW and at Kojonup in Western Australia.
The winning open crossbred Connors Wagyu steak was bred by ITS Cattle Co using ITSV582 over an Angus female.
"Wonderful well balanced rich and clean beefy flavour with lasting juiciness, tenderness and abundant fine marbling," the judges said.
The gold medal steak was produced after 390 days on feed and had 45pc marbling, 69 marbling fineness and 78sq cm EMA.
"A delightful balance of clean flavours, fresh aroma and buttery tenderness with lasting juiciness," the judges said.
The class winning commercial Okan Wagyu steak came from an animal bred from an F4 female by the Hughes family's Georgina Pastoral Co. Fed for 420 days, the steak had 35pc marbling, 55.1 marbling fineness, and a 102sq cm EMA.
The dinner also paid tribute to Australian Wagyu industry pioneer, the late David Warmoll, Jack's Creek, Quirindi, who died earlier this month.
Results
Fullblood Japanese Black Steak. Gold medals: Stone Axe, Stone Axe pastoral (grand champion); Signature Series, Mayura Station; Futari Wagyu, Irongate, Wagyu; Infinite, Rangers Valley; Connors Wagyu, Direct Meat Company; Carrara 640. Silver medals: Kiwami, Stockyard Beef; Master Selection, Mort and Co. Bronze medals: Black Diamond, Direct Meat Company.
Open Crossbred Waygu Steak. Gold medals: Connor's Wagyu, Direct Meat Company (grand champion); Master Selection, Mort and Co; Okan Wagyu, Pardoo Beef Corporation; Poll Wagyu, Poll Wagyu. Silver medals: Carrara 640, Kilcoy Global Foods; Jack's Creek Wagyu, Jack's Creek; Masterbeef, Masterbeef; Stockyard Black, Stockyard Beef; Omino, Harmony Fine Foods. Bronze medals: Kiwami, Stockyard Beef; Black Opal, Harmony Fine Foods.
Commercial Waygu Steak. Gold medals: Okan Wagyu, Pardoo Beef Corporation (grand champion); Carrara 640, Kilcoy Global Foods; Stockyard Silver, Stockyard Beef. Silver medals: Jack's Creek Wagyu, Jack's Creek; Connor's Wagyu, Direct Meat Company; The Phoenix, Mort and Co; Master Selection, Mort and Co; Omino, Harmony Fine Foods; Black Opal, Harmony Fine Foods. Bronze medals: L'Grow, Lotte International; Icon XB Wagyu, Paradigm.
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