Grand Champion Branded Lamb of Show winner David Pickworth from Royal Wholesale Meats with Australia’s best lamb and Grand Champion Branded Beef of Show winner Hugo Miller from Paradigm Foods with Australia’s best steak.

TASMANIAN lamb processed in Victoria and sent north for high-end customers can claim to be Australia’s best after winning the ultimate prize at the prestigious Royal Queensland Awards.

Australia’s best beef, lamb, cheese, dairy, ice cream, gelato and sorbet were crowned from a total of 540 entries, with the winners announced at the Brisbane Showgrounds yesterday.

The Champion Branded Lamb of Show went to Royal Wholesale Meats’ Tasmanian Royal and the Grand Champion Branded Beef of Show was awarded to Paradigm Foods’ ICON XB Wagyu.

Chief Judge of the Royal Queensland Branded Beef and Lamb Awards Elaine Millar said the competition was very tight and the visual and taste judging was challenging due to the extraordinary quality of the majority of entries.

“The Tasmanian Royal Lamb from Royal Wholesale Meats earned its champion title for its complexity of delicate yet luscious sweet and savoury flavours including shortbread, pureed macadamia and the richness of Chanterelle mushrooms sauted in homemade butter.

“The Grand Champion ICON XB Wagyu from Paradigm Foods’ Tasmanian herd is a very deserving winner of the Branded Beef category,” she said.

“It offered the perfect balance of juiciness, tenderness and structure.”

Royal Wholesale Meats sales manager Dave Pickworth said award is a win for Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania.

He said the business sources their lamb in Tasmania, has it processed at MC Herd at Geelong and is then prepared for sale at Redcliffe, north of Brisbane, for sale in Toowoomba, Harvey Bay and through the Northern Rivers.

“Obviously there are beautiful growing conditions for lamb in Tasmania, some of the best lambs come out of there, and we bring back quality up to the local shops up here.”

Mr Pickworth said the win this year is the business’ second grand champion award in five years — the last was in 2022 – with several gold and minor placings over that time.

But he said it hasn’t been an easy year for the market.

“Meat has been quite dear and it has been a hard year to source quality, it’s been a very hard season.”

He said the business has been operating since 2002 after being started by the Forkings family, maintaining a good relationship with MC Herd.

Mr Pickworth said his Queensland customers know and like the Tasmanian lamb, but the business also markets Victorian lamb products. The Tasmanian lamb goes into high-end shops.

“To people who will pay the money, they just want quality.”

Ms Millar said every year the judging panel is overwhelmed by the escalation in the quality of the Branded Beef and Lamb Entries.

“It is an outstanding achievement by our dedicated Australian producers and our retail and food service industries and ultimately the end diner are the beneficiaries.”

OTHER LAMB TROPHY WINNERS

Branded Lamb – 20 kg or less

Gold:               Lamb of Tasmania Trade Lamb by Tasmanian Lamb Company

Silver:              Tasmanian Royal by Royal Wholesale Meats

Bronze:            Royal Trade by Royal Wholesale Meats

Branded Lamb – More than 20kg

Gold:               Tasmanian Royal by Royal Wholesale Meats

Silver:              Royal Trade by Royal Wholesale Meats

Bronze:            White Pyrenees Lamb by WHITE STRIPE FOODS PTY LTD

Restaurant Trade Branded Lamb – More than 24kg

Gold:                Australian Whole Meats/Minerva Foods

Silver:              Royal Trade by Royal Wholesale Meats

Bronze:            Tasmanian Royal by Royal Wholesale Meats

CHAMPION BUFFALO, GOAT, SHEEP OR OTHER NON-COW’S MILK PRODUCT OF SHOW

Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt by Meredith Dairy

CHAMPION QUEENSLAND CHEESE OR DAIRY PRODUCT OF SHOW

Blackall Gold Washed Rind by Woombye Cheese