Ireland has won the World's Best Steak award at the World Steak Challenge in London.
Dawn Meats and Lidl won the award of the World's Best Steak for its grass fed Angus sirloin. The steak is sold by Lidl in Ireland and comes from cattle bred in Co Waterford.
Ireland landed a record-breaking 68 medals at the prestigious awards and with 24 gold medals, Ireland was the top-performing country overall.
The awards for Ireland showcases the exceptional quality of Ireland's grass-fed beef from heritage breeds.
As well as winning the World's Best Steak, Dawn Meats secured 11 gold medals for Ireland at the competition in London.
The awards ceremony took place last night at the Smith & Wollensky restaurant in London, where ABP Foodgroup Ireland, Ashbourne Meats, Dawn Meats, Liffey Meats and Redmond Farm were among the finalists across the fillet, ribeye and sirloin grass fed steak categories.
Irish grass fed rib eye proved the most popular steak securing 12 gold medals at the competition, followed by sirloin which won eight and fillet which took home four.
Among the Irish winners were Dawn Meats, Ashbourne Meats and ABP Ireland, whose entries impressed judges with their marbling, tenderness, and flavour profiles.
The World Steak Challenge is now in its eleventh year and is regarded as the ultimate benchmark for steak producers worldwide.
A total of 304 medals were awarded in total with Ireland taking home the greatest medal haul of 68 gold, silver or bronze medals.
Mark Zieg, Bord Bia’s Beef Sector Manager, said that Ireland's performance at the World Steak Challenge is testament to the dedication and quality of Irish farmers and processors.
"Grass-fed beef from Ireland, produced under the Origin Green programme, continues to set the global standard for quality and sustainable production. These awards validate and reinforce Ireland's position as a world leader in beef production," he added.
Neil Lanigan, Commercial Manager with Dawn Meats said, the company is passionate about its beef so to win the award for Europe's Best Steak and then to go on to win the World's Best Steak is unbelievable.
"This award goes out to our farmers and producers. It's a massive effort and this award is a huge win for everyone in Irish beef," he said.
"This award is an independent endorsement of our beef quality, reflecting the hard work of our team and the trust our customers place in us. Irish beef is full of flavour, tenderness and juiciness - qualities that chefs and retailers around the world have come to rely on," he added.
Robert Ryan, Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland chief executive, said that together with Dawn Meats, it is immensely proud that its own-brand Irish grass-fed steak has been recognised as World's Best Steak at the World Steak Challenge.
