'Playing around' yields award-winning pork

Blue Water Products general manager Sam Hutchison (left) and Agora Butchery and Deli manager Ron...
Blue Water Products general manager Sam Hutchison (left) and Agora Butchery and Deli manager Ron Hudson with some prize-winning pancetta. Photo: Stephen Jaquiery.
Tinkering in his home kitchen has paid off for Blue Water Products general manager Sam Hutchison.

Although  neither  chef nor  butcher, Mr Hutchison enjoys food, often gaining inspiration from TV  cooking programmes  or from books.

A pulled pork product he devised  recently won Agora Butchery and Deli in Mosgiel the 100% Best New Zealand Pork competition at the 100% New Zealand Pork, Bacon and Ham Awards.

The butchery was bought 12 years ago by Dunedin-based seafood processor and food distributor Blue Water Products.

The awards attracted 210 entries from nearly 50 butchers throughout the country and each entry was scrutinised by an independent panel of 33 judges.

Agora Butchery and Deli also won a silver award for its pulled pork in the convenient pork category, and silvers in the streaky bacon category for its paprika-based Peninsula Pancetta, and thyme-flavoured Central Otago Pancetta.

Mr Hutchison returned to New Zealand 18 months ago after five years in Sydney managing seafood retail shops.

Being exposed to the food scene in Sydney, coupled with the heightened interest in cooking, saw the "jigsaw puzzle coming together" and he could see there were a lot of opportunities for the Agora business.

He was keen to see a move into supermarkets and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), with convenient meals. 

After "playing around" at home with pork shoulder and pork ribs, he came up with the award-winning pulled pork product, inspired by the convenient pork category and the need to produce a quick meal.

The meat  could be used in the likes of sliders or tacos.

Agora employed five butchers and Mr Hutchison encouraged them to "push themselves" by coming up with  innovative  products  and entering competitions.

The company had  gathered a  small portfolio of awards  and it was about getting credibility for what they were doing and using that as a stepping stone to more retail or supermarket business, or to gain credibility with chefs and the hospitality industry.

Awards were also a good talking point with customers and a good way to promote the business.

Now, the team’s focus was turning to the upcoming national sausage awards, with entries already  submitted.

With cooking shows and celebrity chefs, there was more interest from the public about getting back to the source of their products, or talking to the local butcher about where it came from, he said.

Agora manager Ron Hudson said there had been changes to what customers wanted.

Years ago, Sunday roasts were very popular, but now people wanted more convenient cooking times for meals and smaller portions.

Agora also processed homekill and increasing numbers of people were "getting back to their roots" and getting their own animals killed, Mr Hutchison said. 

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