Ireland wins World’s Best Steak at World Steak Challenge

Ireland has won the World's Best Steak award at the World Steak Challenge in London. Dawn Meats and Lidl won the coveted award of the World’s Best Steak for a grass fed sirloin Angus Striploin. In addition to this, Ireland landed a record-breaking 68 medals at the prestigious awards. With 24 gold medals, Ireland was the top-performing country overall, and won the grand prize for Irish grass fed steak. The awards for Ireland showcases the exceptional quality of Ireland’s grass-fed beef from heritage breeds. 

The award-winning steak is sold in Lidl stores across Ireland and comes from cattle bred in Waterford by Dawn Meats.  Of the World’s Best Steak from Ireland, the judges said, “The tenderness is similar to the tenderloin but it also carries a wonderful taste similar to a ribeye”, adding that it “offers the best in terms of texture and flavour.” 

Along with winning the World’s Best Steak, Dawn Meats secured 11 gold medals for Ireland at the competition.

Pat Ormond, International Sales manager with Dawn Meats said,

“Dawn Meats is delighted to receive independent endorsement of our beef quality, reflecting the hard work of our team and the trust our customers place in us. Irish beef is full of flavour, tenderness and juiciness – qualities that chefs and retailers around the world have come to rely on.”

Robert Ryan, Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland Chief Executive Officer said:

“Together with our valued Irish supplier, Dawn Meats, we’re immensely proud our own-brand Irish grass-fed steak has been recognised as World’s Best Steak at the World Steak Challenge. At Lidl, providing the highest quality products at the best value on the market has always been our promise to our customers and this recognition underscores our strong commitment to providing world-class Irish produce at the best value on the market to shoppers across the country.”

Sirloin proved the most popular steak securing 19 gold medals, followed by rib-eye which won 16 and fillet which took home 11.

Speaking at the awards in London last night, Mark Zieg, Bord Bia’s Beef Sector Manager, said:

“After three years of taking away a record number of medals in the World Steak Challenge, it is a fantastic win for Ireland to be awarded the gold medal for Irish grass fed beef.  Ireland’s performance at the World Steak Challenge is testament to the dedication and quality of our farmers and processors. Grass-fed beef from Ireland, produced under the Origin Green programme, continues to set the global standard for quality and sustainable production. These awards validate and reinforce Ireland’s position as a world leader in beef production.”

The awards ceremony took place last night in London at Smith & Wollensky, where the coveted title of World’s Best Steak was announced. 

The World Steak Challenge, now in its eleventh year, is the ultimate benchmark for steak producers worldwide. This year’s judging panel, comprising over 60 international experts, assessed entries on both raw and cooked criteria. 304 medals were awarded in total with Ireland taking home the greatest medal haul of 68 gold, silver or bronze medals.

Among the standout Irish winners were Dawn Meats, Ashbourne Meats, and ABP Ireland, whose entries impressed judges with their marbling, tenderness, and flavour profiles. 

The World Steak Challenge, launched in 2015, is a recognised stamp of quality to support world-class steak production on a global platform, giving steak producers from across the world a unique opportunity to benchmark product quality, breed credentials and processing standards on the international stage.

The awards are organised by William Reed Business Media, the publisher behind the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The World Steak Challenge gives steak producers and suppliers the opportunity to showcase their product quality, breed credentials and processing standards on an international stage.

ABP Foodgroup Ireland, Ashbourne Meats, Dawn Meats, Liffey Meats and Redmond Farm were among the finalists across the fillet, ribeye and sirloin grass fed steak categories.

For more information on Ireland’s award-winning beef and the Origin Green programme, visit www.bordbia.ie.