A Cumbrian butchers has scooped a prestigious national award for its rare roast beef.
Cranstons, which has food halls and shops across the county, has been handed the accolade at the Smithfield Awards.
It was one of 12 artisan butchers from across the UK to be crowned top of their class and won the Diamond category champion award in the From the Deli category.
Organised by the Q Guild of Butchers, the awards have run for more than 30 years and recognise and reward the UK’s finest craft butchery products.
Products are awarded bronze, silver or gold by a panel of independent industry judges, with all gold products in each category then pitched against each for the category champion Diamond Award.
Scoring 68 points out of a possible 70, Cranstons’ Rare Roast Beef is made using 21 day dry-aged topside from their local farm supplier, then expertly cooked ensuring it is medium rare.
The coveted Diamond Award was presented to Cranstons by the highly regarded British chef Jeremy Lee.
The Cumbrian butcher also made the final shortlist in five other categories – Traditional Pork Link Sausage, Best BBQ Product, for their Greek Beef Kebab, Best Steak Pie, Best Butcher’s Rib Eye Steak and Speciality Game Meat Product for their Venison Parcel – with all five products receiving gold award status – the highest possible rating from the Guild.
Jane Silburn, of Cranstons, said: “This product is so good thanks to the combined effort of our farmers, our production butchery team and kitchen team – not forgetting the shop deli teams who expertly carve it for the counters. It’s great to see everyone’s hard work recognised with this award.
‘’Our rare roast beef is beautifully pink and tender – it is cooked ‘sous vide’ style at a low temperature for 14 hours to ensure it remains moist and to maximise the beef’s natural flavour. It’s then expertly hand-carved. It’s a far cry from the bone-dry roast beef slices you’ll find in the supermarket and well loved by our customers.’’
Gordon Wallace, Q Guild manager, said: “The standard of entries this year was as high as ever so being crowned best in class for their Rare Roast Beef, alongside five additional Gold awards is a fantastic achievement for Cranstons. We were delighted to present them with their award which not only endorses the quality of their products but helps to raise standards and drive innovation across the craft butchery industry.”
A family run butchers for more than 100 years, Cranstons has four food halls in the region along with two shops in Penrith and Hexham. Cranstons prides itself on its long-standing relationships with local farmers.
