I was honored to be appointed as a judge of the World Steak Challenge (WSC), to be held on September 2024 in Amsterdam!
Launched in 2015 to deliver a recognised stamp of quality to support world-class steak production on a global platform, World Steak Challenge gives steak producers from across the world a unique opportunity to benchmark product quality, breed credentials and processing standards on the international stage. With four categories open for entries we are on the hunt for the best Fillet, Ribeye, Sirloin and Wagyu’s from across the globe. Whether your steaks are grass or grain-fed, we want to hear from beef producers, cattle farmers and ranchers, beef processors, steak brands and beef wholesalers.
After nine successful years and with 25 steak-producing countries having participated, we're continuing on our mission to hunt down the best beef steak producers and reward the world’s best steaks.
The Judging Process
Our judging is independent and monitored at every stage, with every steak being judged on its own merits against our internationally agreed judging criteria. All steaks are coded throughout the judging process so that the producer’s name and the country of origin remain anonymous until both Stage 1 and Stage 2 are complete. In this challenge, there is no minimum or maximum maturation date for products entered into the competition.
Stage One
The first stage consists of technical judging. All steaks are judged according to both raw and cooked criteria by our expert panel, the judges will be drawn from a wide range of nationalities and expertise to ensure international differences in taste are accounted for.
All medal winners will gain the right to utilise these medals on product packaging and marketing efforts, aligning their produce with an internationally recognised accreditation scheme that symbolises quality.
Raw criteria:
Apearance
Aroma
Color
Marbling
Consistency of fat trim
Cooked criteria:
Apearance
Aroma
Flavor
Succulence
Tenderness
Stage Two
All scores are totalled and the winners are verified by our independent judging panel.
At this point, the best fillet, ribeye, sirloin and wagyu steak will be decided and aligned to our international categories, where we ultimately announce the best cuts from Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America.
The steak with the highest overall score is declared the winner of the coveted World’s Best Steak award, and its supplier is given the title of World’s Best Steak Producer.
Thank you to World Steak Challenge for this amazing opportunity!
Lean Gentini
Here some pics of 2023 WSC edition:
