The steaks have never been higher, nor more delicious.
Previous winners of the WA’s Best Steak Sandwich competition will defend their trophies and customised wrestling belts when this year’s finalists battle for glory in a live cook-off.
Four country WA finalists will put their meat sanga making skills to the test on stage during the Australian Hotels Association Expo at Crown Perth on Tuesday, June 27 before four Perth finalists cook-off at the same venue the following day.
After tasting victory last year in the country category with his coffee-rubbed Black Angus scotch fillet, Estonian chef Ats Johanson from the North West Brewing Co. in Karratha will aim for back-to-back titles against the Brusnwick Tavern, The Duke Inn in Northam and Kalgoorlie’s The Miners Rest.
Meanwhile, four-time winner Mickey Phull from The Last Local in Canning Vale will attempt to hold off challenges from the Carrington Bar and Grill in Hamilton Hill, Mount Helena Tavern and The Iluka.
Last year, Phull’s French-dip inspired creation earned his first belt at The Last Local, where he is owner and chef.
The steak sandwich supremo previously won a trifecta of awards at the Karalee on Preston in Como.
WA’s Best Steak Sandwich is presented by the AHA and Little Creatures.
The AHA’s WA chief Bradley Woods revealed that this year’s competition had grown significantly, with a record number of West Aussies flocking to venues around the State during May to vote for their favourite steak sandwich.
“The number of votes this year didn’t just beat previous years, it smashed the record by several thousand,” Mr Woods said.
“To put the community interest in this competition in perspective, more people voted … than the populations of Margaret River, Denmark and Dunsborough combined.
“Venues across WA have put careful thought out and considerable effort into producing outstanding steak sandwiches that have obviously been well-received by the voting public,” he said.
Launched in 2016, WA’s Best Steak Sandwich competition represents a serious boon for finalists, with nominated venues reporting significant increases in revenue during the voting period and leading up to the final cook-off.
One regional finalist told organisers that 20 per cent of all their food sales during the competition were for steak sandwiches.