Hams down winners take a slice of glory

TASMANIA’S best hams have been revealed as shoppers get ready to buy their Christmas fare.

Three butchers dominated the Tasmanian competition of the Australian PorkMark Ham Awards.

First place in the bone-in category was won by Wursthaus from Cambridge with Burnie’s Sharman’s Butchery named the best for boneless ham.

Tasmanian Meat Wholesalers, from Hobart, came in second in both categories.

Wursthaus’s Tristan Baker said their winning ham was 100 per cent Australian pork, sourced from Tasmanian producers and smoked using traditional methods.

“We cook and smoke the ham the same traditional way we have always done since 1985,” he said.

“This produces a moist and succulent ham, perfect for glazing or eating as purchased. It comes in several sizes and is available throughout Tasmania. By purchasing our product, customers are directly helping to employ Tasmanians.”

Australian Pork Limited marketing communications manager Mitch Edwards said consumers were paying more attention to where their food came from and how animals were raised.

Most of the hams sold in Australia are made from imported pork, he said.

“If it’s on the bone, then it’s one of our own. However, if you’re buying a boneless ham, look for an almost full bar chart on the packaging to be sure your ham is made from 100 per cent Australian pork.”

The national winner for a bone-in ham was Queensland’s Noosa Meat Centre.

WE COOK AND SMOKE THE HAM THE SAME TRADITIONAL WAY WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE SINCE 1985

... THIS PRODUCES A MOIST AND SUCCULENT HAM

TRISTAN BAKER