Soy-marinated kangaroo and venison salami were two delicious entries putting a “different spin” on the annual Hamstar award, according to judge Gail Thomas.
She said the judging panel struggled to pick a winner for the smallgoods competition, to be announced on March 22.
“They were all fantastic entries,” she told the Independent on Wednesday.
“We had to go back and have a second look at things because it was that close.”
The panel featured an array of culinary experts including Sicilian restaurateur Rosa Mitchell, 3AW barbecue guru Bob Hart and local chef and cooking teacher Leonie Mills.
Also judging were botanical brewer Tony Spoljaric and competition founder George Biron.
“We all judge independently and compare notes at the end,” Gail said.
“The interesting thing was we were very close on our scoring. And yet we’ve all got very different palates from different interests.”
While entries were down this year Gail was blown away by the creativity of some.
“There are traditional recipes passed down through families for generations and others who think way outside the square,” she said.
“It’s always fun because you never know what’s going to be put in front of you – it could be pork, beef, kangaroo or venison.”
The judges picked the competition’s top three, with prizes of $500, $300 and $200 for first, second and third-place respectively.
“You wish this sort of thing was available commercially – they put so such effort into it and the flavours are so good,” she said.
Entries are still open for the Lara Food & Wine Festival’s Cheese Champion competition until March 19, with a $500 prize up for grabs.
Update: Organisers told the Independent on Friday they had called off the Lara Food & Wine Festival due to coronavirus concerns.
