Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Getting my teeth stuck into judging gig
IF you’ve never judged a competition before, it can feel like a daunting prospect at first.
Apart from being a meat-eater and a firm believer in supporting local West Country producers, I felt rather underqualified for the lofty task of judging burgers and steaks at Agrifest South West last week. But when the organisers came to me with this amazing opportunity, I swapped my nerves for a stretchy pair of jeans and tucked in!
Attracting entries from butchers across Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Gloucestershire, Agrifest’s steak and burger awards are kind of a big deal and this year’s renewal saw more mouthwatering morsels than ever before battling to satisfy our tastebuds.
By the end of judging I had lost count of how many beef, lamb and speciality burgers, rump and sirloin steaks passed my lips – enough to turn me vegetarian for the rest of the day and into the following one!
Choosing meat that has been bred, fed and processed locally is really important to me – the closer to home the better – so when I saw the list of entries I knew I was in safe hands. Darts Farm, Exe Valley Farm Shop, James Kittow, Strawberry Fields Farm Shop ... Just a handful of the finest purveyors of quality meat we are fortunate to have based here in the South West.
When I first joined the paper in 2013, I was sceptical about being able to taste the difference between grass-fed and grain-fed meat. But with every farm visit made, fact learned and friendship formed, I now strongly believe that when it comes to converting grass into meat, our farmers are the champions!