At the World Steak Challenge, in Ireland, the Azul Natural Beef refrigerator won the Gold Medal in Rib Eye and Grain-fed Loin; the Silver Medal in Steak Narrow to grain and Loin to grass; also the Bronze Medal for Narrow Steak fed on grass.

With the participation of more than 300 companies from all over the world and for the third consecutive year, at Fire Steakhouse & Bar, in Dublin, Ireland, Argentina obtained the highest award in the World Steak Challenge. Strictly speaking, managers of the Azul Natural Beef refrigerator, who were the ones who participated in the event and were the winners, reported that this year they achieved the Gold Medal in Rib Eye and Grain-fed Loin; the Silver Medal in Grain-fed Narrow Steak and Grass-fed Loin and; the Bronze Medal for Narrow Steak, grass fed.

Azul Natural Beef is a company recognized worldwide for the quality of its products. It is certified by Organización Internacional Agropecuaria S.A. (OIA).

According to what they said, the prizes obtained were “thanks to the result of joint work with all the workers of the plant in Azul, as well as with the ranch producers who accompany and work every year to improve the quality of their cattle and maintain Argentine meat at the top of the world”.

They detailed that the awards granted for the category of products with grain-fed cattle were taken by Egeo SA, whose establishment is located in the Carlos Tejedor district of Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, for the grass-fed production category, the prizes went to the Don Manuel establishment, owned by Hernán Dindart, a producer from the town of Pedro Luro, in the province of Buenos Aires.

The World Steak Challenge event is a prestigious steak competition showcasing product quality, [cattle] breed credentials and processing standards on an international stage where a panel of more than 60 independent judges tested cuts in seven categories ”.

In dialogue with LA NACION, Alejandro Duhau, president of Azul Natural Beef, highlighted the importance of the event which, both for the company and for the country, is a kind of letter of introduction to the world.

“It is a showcase to the world to show the excellent quality of the beef that we have in Argentina. We found out a few years ago about the existence of this contest and we decided to participate. Until last year we were the only Argentine company that competed among 300 firms from around the world, now this year two companies from our country participated, because they also seek to make their brand visible”, he commented.

“Our clients abroad highly value these achievements. Look at how important it will be to show the quality of the merchandise that one sells that there is, for example, a restaurant in London that in its menu says that such a dish of beef comes from a refrigerator that won these awards. Although when talking about Argentine beef it is taken for granted that it is good meat, we wanted to achieve the category of excellent and this is a very good option,” he added.

He said that a large part of his work is in the permanent relationship with the producers who sell them the steers and heifers for their slaughter. For Duhau, it is there, in the field where the steers are raised, where the work that makes the difference begins.

“We only fish British breeds, mostly Angus. A great point of our work is to visit the feedlots and fields of our clients to see the quality of their farm, how they feed them. And we try to keep them. Most of them are from the province of Buenos Aires and some from La Pampa, not far from the refrigerator, where the vast majority complete the cycle,” he explained.

As for the animals that are slaughtered, he commented that they are steers and heifers weighing between 500 and 600 kilos, with a higher fat content and heavier than those sold in the domestic market. “This is the type of merchandise that our customers are looking for abroad. 80% in value of what we work is exported, 20% is in the domestic market,” he stated.

Regarding exports, its main destination is China with 38%, with both frozen and chilled quality meat, where they do not trade but have four regular clients with whom they make supply agreements. They also export, with kosher slaughter, to Israel and the United States. “Other destinations are Germany and markets such as Brazil, Chile and other European countries. Now, we are opening markets in several Asian countries, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Vietnam,” he said.

Currently, the refrigerator, which opened in 2017, has about 950 employees at its plant. “These awards show that working seriously, investing in technology, working together with our livestock suppliers and training our collaborators have results at an international level, that’s why we chose to continue growing and keep Argentina on the podium for the best meat in the world.” world,” he concluded.

Source: La Nacion