The line-up from Hastings butcher Wild Game on Wednesday night at the awards ceremony in Auckland. From left, Varnah Hamilton-Bicknell, Jordan Bicknell and Aidan Kendrick.
The line-up from Hastings butcher Wild Game on Wednesday night at the awards ceremony in Auckland. From left, Varnah Hamilton-Bicknell, Jordan Bicknell and Aidan Kendrick.
Is it too early to suggest Camberley be renamed as Hamberley?
Because a meatery from the small Hawke’s Bay suburb has once again claimed top honours for its ham at the pork industry’s 100% NZ Bacon and Ham awards.
Wild Game, based in Camberley, Hastings, has been run by JordanHamilton and wife Varnah Hamilton-Bicknell for just three years.
They took home the Supreme Ham Award for their Old School Pressed Ham, while Sam’s Butchery, in Silverdale, north of Auckland, claimed the Supreme Bacon award.
“This means so much to small businesses like mine,” Hamilton told the organisers.
“I’ve been lucky enough to win this before, so to take it out again must show it’s a quality product. I’m incredibly proud – it’s hard to put into words how much this means.”
Wild Game's Old School Pressed Ham, which sells for $30 a kilogram, won the national Supreme Ham Award for a second time.
Wild Game also received gold medal recognition for two products in the streaky bacon category, for its Bushman’s Streaky Bacon and Old School Streaky Bacon.
The judging process spanned three days and brought together a panel of experienced butchers and culinary experts, who evaluated entries from across the country, all crafted using 100% New Zealand-born and raised pork.
Products were judged across eight bacon and three ham categories, with gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded, and each category’s top-scoring product earning the title of Category Champion.
The category champions were then in the running for the Supreme Bacon and Supreme Ham titles.
Culinary judge Ginny Grant said the standard was exceptionally high this year, making for a very close competition.
“From an aesthetic point of view, the ham really had that ‘wow’ factor when it was presented to the judges,” she said, with particular acclaim for the Hawke’s Bay product.
“A pressed ham is more of a traditional style, and not only did it look amazing, but it was also incredibly moreish, with great depth of flavour and impressive balance. You could tell it had been made with a lot of care.”
Technical judge Brian Everton, of Cabernet Foods, highlighted the innovation and skill behind both winning products.
“What really made both supreme winners stand out this year was just how innovative they were. Both the ham and bacon were quite different, and you could tell a lot of thought had gone into making them unique.
“That creativity really helped elevate them. From a technical point of view, they’re not easy products to make either, so it’s clear the producers put a lot of care and attention into getting them just right, and it’s paid off.”
The public cast 5400 votes for the People’s Choice Award, which went to Christchurch firm Peter Timbs Meats.
Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 52 years of journalism experience, 42 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.
