Western Australian smallgoods manufacturer D’Orsogna was a winner at the 2018 Perth Royal Show Branded Meat Awards, winning champion ham, champion smallgood and gold medals for ham and salami.
Champion ham was D’Orsogna’s Premium Australian Ham off the Bone, which earlier won gold in the ham category.
Champion smallgood was D’Orsogna’s Artisan Finocchiona Salami, an Italian salami variety typical of Southern Tuscany and characterised by the use of fennel. It earlier won gold in the salami category.
Champion smallgood is awarded to the highest scoring product across all categories i.e. bacon, ham, air dried cured meats, salami, and chorizo.
Royal Agricultural Society of WA Councillor in Charge, Jo Pluske, who jointly presented the awards with RASWA Vice President David Thomas, said the salami category had the highest average score of all categories, with a broad variety in natural casings.
“There were some exciting flavours and presentation,” Dr Pluske said.
“High scores were based on excellent natural casing, presentation, colour of fat and meat particle size on the cut surface and flavour.”
The ham category comprised a mix of boneless and bone-in hams, with various profiles in shape, meat cuts and flavours.
Dr Pluske said entries were of high quality, with the best hams showing high standards in colour, texture, aroma, smoke flavor, salt and fat distribution.
D’Orsogna Marketing Manager Paul Butcher, who attended the awards presentations last Friday evening at the Claremont Showgrounds Wilkinson Gallery, along with D’Orsogna Sales Manager, Jamie Neri, said D’Orsogna’s success at the Show reflected a 70 year commitment to quality.
“Consistent quality equates to brand loyalty, an invaluable attribute in the hotly contested deli counter and christmas ham categories,” Mr Butcher said.
Headquartered in Palmyra, WA market leader D’Orsogna produces a range of cured and cooked whole and sliced hams, gourmet continental goods, bacon and cooked and fresh sausages.
Earlier this year it began construction of a $66 million state-of-the-art 10,858m2 food manufacturing facility at Merrifield Business Park, 30km north of Melbourne, which will employ 240 people and establish D’Orsogna as a national market leader in the smallgoods and meat protein food sector.
In 2018 D’Orsogna employs more than 550 people and is one of the most recognisable brands at Woolworths, Coles, Metcash and food service businesses in WA and interstate.