A CATERING butcher brought home the bacon at a prestigious competition after wowing judges with one of its pork products.

Eye-based C&K Meats Ltd struck gold and a place in the grand final of a nationwide catering competition for its ‘Green Beer Bacon Steak’.

As winner in the Best Cured Product category it is one of 18 products that now go forward to the national BPEX Foodservice Pork Product of the Year 2013 competition in London, which will be celebrating the UK’s best pork products.

The contest takes places at Butchers Hall on April 12.

Graham Pentelow of C&K Meats Ltd said: “We’re extremely proud to have been shortlisted for the final. As a business we have always known our bacon and hams are of a high standard but have only just recently started entering competitions.

“We are thrilled with the results and will certainly be pushing forward with more entries in the future to continue raising awareness of our products.

“We entered this competition after our range of bacon went down well at the Bacon Connoisseur’s Week competition judging earlier this year. We use the very best high welfare assured pork from the Waveney Valley to make our special bacon. For our beer bacon, the meat is expertly wet cured using St Peter’s Brewery ales and the result is deliciously succulent meat with a distinctive hoppy flavour. The C&K Group is dedicated to championing sustainable values within the livestock and meat industry.

An emphasis is placed on sourcing quality meat locally whenever possible.”

The company was also delighted to receive further Gold Awards for their ‘Smoked Horseshoe Gammon Steak’ and ‘Smoked Black Treacle Infused Beer Bacon Steak’.

BPEX foodservice trade manager, Tony Goodger, said: “Having top quality pork dishes on menus is crucial to satisfy today’s discerning customers and this competition rewards the very best in the business.

“We congratulate C & K Meats on their achievements in what was an incredibly tough competition and wish them the best of luck in the final.”