Holmesterne Foods crowned Foodservice Pork Product of the Year

The ready meal, which is ready to serve in under five minutes, was picked from eighteen products that had been placed first, second and third place across the competition's six categories. As well as winning the Overall Champion title and ready meal category, Holmesterne Foods also picked up third place in the fresh pork cut category with a 'Seasoned Bel y Pork Square' and first and third place in the pork and pastry category with 'Sweet & Sour Pork Spring Rolls' and 'Oriental Money Bags'. Kevin Hacking, product development manager for Holmesterne Foods, was presented with his trophy at a special awards luncheon at Butchers Hall this week. "We've been taking a greater interest in world cuisines, particularly in light of changing consumers tastes and the fact that chefs are increasingly looking for new menu options to attract customers. The Oriental and Asian influences suit pork perfectly and given pork accounts for a large proportion of our business it seemed a logical route to explore." "The competition is a great way to get valuable, independent feedback on products specifically created for the catering sector. The comments from the respected judges help us make sure we've got our products just right – and of course, the subsequent awards are a great endorsement too. This year we picked up a total of seven gold and two silver awards, and with the champion title, we're confident these will be a great help when speaking to customers about the new range of products." Almost 100 products were submitted by catering butchers, manufacturers and chefs. Following an initial judging round, products from three finalists in each of the six categories; Fresh Pork Cut, Pork Ready Meal, Best Cold Eating Product, Pork and Pastry, Best Cured Product and Best Innovative Pork, were awarded at Butchers' Hall in London. Other winners included Browns Foodservice who picked up the Best Innovative Pork Product, Bearfields Ltd, who won the Best Cured Product category, and Muffs of Bromborough who scooped the Best Cold Eating Product.