The experienced butchery cleaned up in this year's competition - bagging gold in both of the ham categories with a manuka smoked, honey cured leg ham with the bone-in and a Manuka smoked, honey cured sliced bone-less ham.
"It's the first time we've had such difficulty nailing down a supreme winner. It wasn't until after the judging that we found out the two top hams we struggled to rank came from the same butcher," Ms Sarginson explained.
Cameron Harrison co-owner Simon Harrison explained: "Our ham is made the old fashioned way, it is truly a methodical process with huge attention to detail and long hours spent to make such a top quality product using the finest ingredients."
Meanwhile, a streaky bacon crafted by the Independent Meat Processors' in Christchurch was named best bacon in NZ, beating 168 other entries.
The owners of the South Island large scale meat processor said their winning product came from sourcing the very best cuts of pork which their team had then "work(ed) their magic" on.
Ms Sarginson said the winning bacon was "deliciously sweet and tender".
"The texture was perfect and it left a moist taste that lingered in your mouth."
Recipe ideas from bite.co.nz
Green eggs and ham, Baked chicken with tomatoes and bacon. Photos / Bite
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Ham of the Year Award winners
The 100% New Zealand Ham Competition is contested in two categories, bone-in and bone-less sliced.
Winners by category:
100% New Zealand Ham of the Year
Rob Cameron & Simon Harrison of Cameron Harrison Butchery, Wellington
100% New Zealand Bone-In (ham leg)
Gold: Rob Cameron & Simon Harrison, Cameron Harrison Butchery, Wellington
Silver: Dave Rossiter, Westmere Butchery, Auckland
Bronze: Warren Klein & Graeme Pilkington, Chef Ready Meats, Te Rapa, Hamilton
Bronze: Helen & John Clotworthy, Pokeno Bacon, Auckland
100% New Zealand Boneless (sliced ham)
Gold: Rob Cameron & Simon Harrison, Cameron Harrison Butchery, Wellington
Silver: Chris & Sue Brown, Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Canterbury
Silver: Helen & John Clotworthy, Pokeno Bacon, Auckland
Bronze: Tom Coughlan, Independent Meat Processors, Christchurch.
Bacon of the Year Award winners
The 100% New Zealand Bacon Competition is contested over five categories: middle, dry-cured middle; shoulder; streaky; and middle-eye.
Winners by category:
100% New Zealand Cacon of the Year 2014
Tom Coughlan and Colin Horton of Independent Meat Processors, Christchurch
100% NZ Middle Bacon
Gold - Helen and John Clotworthy, Pokeno Bacon, Pokeno, Auckland
Joint Silver - Murray "Buzz" Sattler of Buzz the Butcher, New Plymouth
Joint Silver - Rob Cameron and Simon Harrison, of Cameron Harrison, Wellington
Bronze - Brydon Heller of Hellers Ltd, Kaiapoi, Canterbury
100% NZ Shoulder Bacon
Gold - Chris Timbs of Peter Timbs Meats Ltd, Richmond, Christchurch
Silver - Chris & Sue Brown, Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Canterbury
Joint Bronze - Tony Smith, Farmer Jones Ltd, Tauranga
Joint Bronze - Angus Black, Harrington Small Goods, Miramar, Wellington
100% NZ Streaky Bacon
Gold - Tom Coughlan and Colin Horton, Independent Meat Processors, Christchurch
Silver - Nigel Jackson, Mercury Bay Meats, Coromandel Peninsula (First time winners)
Bronze - David Rossiter, Westmere Butchery, Westmere, Auckland
100% NZ Middle-Eye Bacon
Gold - Greg Dyson, Westend New World, Bay of Plenty
Silver - Greg Dyson, Westend New World, Bay of Plenty
Joint Bronze - Helen & John Clotworthy, Pokeno Bacon, Auckland
Joint Bronze - Ragupathy Nadason (Sam), Sam's Butchery, Silverdale, Auckland
100% NZ Dry-Cured Middle Bacon
Gold - Chris & Sue Brown, Ellesmere Butchery, Leeston, Canterbury
Silver - Chris Beach, Cattermoles Butchery, Kaiapoi, Canterbury
Bronze - Rob Lees, Warkworth Butchery, Warkworth (First time winners)
100% NZ Peoples' Choice Award
Helen and John Clotworthy, Pokeno Bacon, Auckland
- www.nzherald.co.nz
