It’s Gold, Gold, Gold for Australia’s favourite pork producer
Media Release
Otway Pork has reinforced its reputation as the producer of Australia’s best ham, with its Traditional Leg Ham and Ham on the Bone winning Gold Medals at the prestigious Australian Charcuterie Excellence Awards in Melbourne last night.
The awards are presented by the Australian Meat Industry Council, recognising the finest smallgoods and charcuterie in the country.
Otway Pork CEO Duncan Parry said the results highlighted the sheer strength of the Otway Pork range.
“Our hams just keep winning,” Mr Parry said. “That consistency comes from a genuine obsession with quality.”
Otway Pork also received a Gold Medal for its Bacon Slab and a Silver Medal for its Short Cut Bacon, marking the fourth consecutive competition the brand has received medals for its bacon products.
The Gold Medal adds to an impressive trophy cabinet for Otway Pork’s Traditional Leg Ham, which has been recognised on both the national and international stage. The ham has previously won the Champions Trophy at the IFFA International Product and Quality Competition in Frankfurt, Germany, Gold at the Sydney Royal Show and now Gold for two consecutive competitions at the Australian Charcuterie Excellence Awards.
Mr Parry said the awards recognised the team’s relentless focus on quality and taste.
“Producing exceptional pork has always been an obsession for our team,” Mr Parry said.
“Our pigs are raised in the paddocks of south-west Victoria with a strong focus on animal welfare, sustainability and ethical farming. When that level of care is carried through every stage, you can taste the difference.”
At the heart of Otway Pork’s success is a carefully managed breeding program that prioritises premium meat quality and allows pigs the freedom to do what pigs love to do most – forage, play, socialise and eat. Attention to detail continues through every stage of production, extending to the traditional smallgoods techniques that bring the ham to life.
“The ham is naturally smoked using mountain ash wood chips. It’s the kind of careful, traditional process that creates a flavour people immediately recognise.”
Mr Parry said the awards were especially significant given the scale of the competition, with hundreds of entries from producers across the country.
“The Australian Charcuterie Excellence Awards are highly competitive, so to see our hams and bacon recognised year after year is incredibly rewarding,” he said.
Mr Parry said the medals were a victory to be shared, not just with his team but with the butchers, and retail outlets that support Otway Pork, and the restaurants and cafes that proudly put Otway Pork on their menus. Among these are Peter Bouchier Butchers of Distinction, G.McBean Family Butcher, Quality Cuts Meats, LaManna Supermarkets, Last One Inn and the Paddock Bakery.
“When people choose Otway Pork, they’re supporting farmers and a food community that cares deeply about quality,” Mr Parry said.
With a continuous run of medals behind them, Mr Parry said the team was starting to face a new kind of challenge.
“Otway Pork’s trophy room might need an upgrade,” he said. “We’re starting to run out of space. At this rate, we’re giving the Australian Winter Olympic team a run for their money.”
