Ireland triumphed at the 2025 World Steak Challenge, winning the prestigious title of World's Best Steak and marking a record-breaking edition. The competition, now in its eleventh year and hosted in London, rewarded the quality of Irish meats, which totaled 68 medals overall, including 24 golds, establishing the country as the event's overall leader. Irish entrecôte proved to be the undisputed star of the event, totaling 12 gold medals. It was followed by sirloin with eight golds and fillet with four golds, confirming the ability of Irish producers to express excellence in all the competition's main categories.
The annual World Steak Challenge, founded in 2015, is considered one of the most authoritative international events in the cut meat sector, designed to showcase the excellence of producers and offer an objective comparison of the quality of steaks on a global level.
The World's Best Steak is From County Waterford
The title of World's Best Steak 2025 went to the Irish Angus Grass-Fed Sirloin produced by Dawn Meats and sold by Lidl in Irish stores. Made from cattle raised in County Waterford, the steak was praised by judges as "tender like a fillet, yet with a flavour similar to an entrecôte, offering the ultimate in texture and flavour." In addition to the top prize, Dawn Meats contributed significantly to Ireland's success, winning 11 gold medals across the competition's various categories.
The Other Prizes
The 2025 jury consisted of more than 60 experts from around the world, tasked with evaluating both raw and cooked meats. A total of 304 medals were awarded, with Ireland once again confirming its position as one of the most competitive nations in the sector.
The 2025 edition of the World Steak Challenge not only recognized the best steak overall, but also highlighted an international panorama rich in excellence. Alongside the Irish triumph, numerous other awards emerged, demonstrating the diversity and extremely high level of the competition: from Australia, which distinguished itself in the grain-fed meat categories with particularly prized Wagyu cuts, to Finland, awarded for the best grass-fed fillet, to Poland, which won the title of best grain-fed rib-eye.
Argentina and Japan also confirmed their tradition of producing quality meat, winning continental awards for South America and Asia. Overall, the 304 awards assigned by the international jury testify to an increasingly global and diverse competition, where breeding styles, breeds, and maturation techniques compete to offer cuts distinguished by marbling, tenderness, and aromatic richness.
;Resize,width=767;)
