Glamming up for the competition

The competition is heating up for the 2013 Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) Golden Lamb Awards, aka the Glammies.

More than 100 entries from across the country will be competing next year for the Grand Champion title.

The competition, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Genetics, which aims to find New Zealand’s most tender and tasty lamb is entering its seventh year and sees farmers from across the country vying for the Grand Champion title.

B+LNZ Ltd chief executive, Scott Champion, says the competition is an excellent opportunity to profile the quality product New Zealand farmers produce.

“The Glammies gives farmers a chance to showcase breed lines and demonstrate how their animal management talent and hard work in the field culminates in great tasting lamb.”

Winning the top prize is not easy; entries will first be scientifically tested at Carne Technologies to find the top 20.

From here it will be down to the tastebuds of a panel of judges at the Upper Clutha A & P Show in Wanaka on 8 March 2013, where the winner will be determined. Butchers also have an opportunity to profile their product with the Glammies Retailer of the Year Award.

The competition is supported by processing plants across the country. These include: AFFCO, Alliance Group Ltd, Ashburton Meat Processors Ltd, Auckland Meat Processors/Wilson Hellaby, Blue Sky Meats, Cabernet Foods/Kintyre Meats, Harris Meats, Land Meat NZ, Lean Meats, Silver Fern Farms, Taylor Preston/Ken Wilson Meats.

PM helps to pick best lamb

The Glammies 2012 judging panel (right to left) are: Prime Minister John Key, Sarah Walker, Ben Batterbury and chief judge Graham Hawkes.

Prime Minister Right Hon Jon Key was on hand at the Upper Clutha A&P Show in Wanaka to select the nation’s best lamb in March.

The Prime Minister joined the judging panel for the 2012 Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) Golden Lamb Awards (Glammies) at the A&P show in March. Others on the panel were 2011 Supercross World Cup Champion, Sarah Walker, 2012 B+LNZ ambassador chef Ben Batterbury and chief judge and Invercargill chef Graham Hawkes.

Don Morrison of Gore with his Growbulk lamb was named as 2012 Grand Champion, taking home a cheque for $2,000, the Glammies Grand Champion trophy plus a bottle of Mt Difficulty pinot noir wine. Each finalist won a plaque showing their placing.

The Glammies, sponsored by Pfizer Animal Genetics, attracted a record 150 entries which all underwent testing at Carne Technologies. Factors such as tenderness, colour and succulence were tested to determine the top twenty finalists tasted in Wanaka.

The competition is supported by processing plants across the country, including: Alliance, Ashburton Meat Processors, Auckland Meat Processors, Blue Sky Meats (NZ) Ltd, Land Meat NZ Ltd, Silver Fern Farms and Taylor Preston.

Published in Food NZ magazine (April/May 2012).