GUELPH, Ont. — The Ontario Finest Meat competition recently celebrated its 28th year with a record number of submissions. For this year’s competition, 24 companies from across Ontario entered a record 154 products to compete in 16 product categories. Eleven judges sampled the products over the course of two days.
New for this year’s competition, provincial food writers were offered a behind-the-scenes experience of the competition as judges of a Media’s Choice category. Following blind judging of eight products in the Premium Dry-Cured category, the Wild Boar Prosciutto from Toronto-based Speducci Mercatto was named the award’s recipient.
“Ontario Finest Meat is the largest competition of its kind in Canada, with products embracing modern trends while celebrating the heritage of Ontario’s artisanal meat and poultry processors,” says Carol Goriup, president, Ontario Independent Meat Processors (OIMP). “The winning prosciutto from Speducci Mercatto represents the superior quality and innovation of smaller family owned and operated businesses in Ontario, and we are very proud to present them with this award.”
The competition’s Platinum, Gold and Silver award winners will be announced at the OIMP Red Carpet Gala to be held at Ravine Vineyard on October 26.
