WORLD STEAK CHALLENGE – THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE FROM FARM TO PLATE

Today it is the second day of the fifth World Steak Challenge 2019. If yesterday all the beef pieces were cooked and evaluated by the jury of experts, today the participants are exchanging experience in two Irish successful farms, a restaurant and a brewery.

The first stop was on a family farm covering the entire chain from animal husbandry to slaughter, cutting, processing and marketing through its own shop, ensuring not only 100% product control and full product traceability but also complete experience for visitors and consumers passing their threshold.

With an over 25 years’ experience in the field, Bonning Hall has grown 7-8 animals per hectare of land, with cattle having enough room to move and feed.

For them time does not dictate in the process of obtaining beef. All procedures are made in the old style, respecting the tradition and the steps to ensure the quality for which they are recognised. They have won the title of world champion in cattle breeding, but also various competitions for their invented products (such as home-made ham, a little salty). Success, they say, comes from the value of the team they built.

The second farm visited has a 200-year-old tradition of raising cattle and set multiple records with their animals.

Cattle grow freely on pasture, feeding on the grass and rich vegetation of the pasture. The farm is guided by the belief that the happier and calmer the animals, the better beef they will produce and a free living on the pasture can offer them all the benefits.

For these farmers, as well as for their clients – restaurant in Ireland and in other parts of the world – the criteria for the best beef are full traceability, fine texture and intense marbling.

The day continues at the World Steak Challenge, with a family farm dating back to 1710 and which has since been transformed into a restaurant. Here the food is seasonal, based on freshly picked ingredients from the rich garden, on the day they are served.

The menu also includes preparations from a special breed, on the way to extinction – Dexter beef.

After a day full of information and delicious food, the last stop of the group was at a local brewery.

The World Steak Challenge is one of the most important competitions for beef. It was launched in 2015 to provide a world-renowned quality stamp to support the production of world-class steaks and to promote it to consumers as a beneficial choice in a balanced and healthy lifestyle. It provides manufacturers with a unique platform for product quality assessment, breed accreditation and processing standards on the international stage.