MEDIA ALERT
Mighty Santa pie takes top honours at Royal Sydney Fine Food Awards The rich flavour and eating quality of Santa Gertrudis beef has helped deliver a major win at the prestigious Royal Sydney Fine Food Awards, with a Sydney pie maker's Mighty Santa Pie claiming the highest-scoring pie of the show. Named in honour of the "Mighty Santa Gertrudis", a breed celebrated for thriving in Australia's most challenging environments while consistently producing high-quality beef, the pie scored an outstanding 91 points out of 100 in the savoury pie category, claiming gold medal honours and the title of highest-scoring pie in the competition. The award marks a significant milestone for the breed, with the Mighty Santa Pie becoming the first Santa Gertrudis beef pie entered in the Royal Sydney Fine Food Awards and claiming victory at the first attempt. Santa Gertrudis Breeders' (Australia) Association General Manager Brad Cooper said the result highlighted the exceptional quality and versatility of Santa Gertrudis beef. "This award is a fantastic endorsement of the eating quality, flavour and consistency that Santa Gertrudis cattle are renowned for," Mr Cooper said. "To see a pie carrying the Santa Gertrudis name not only win gold but achieve the highest score of the entire savoury pie class is a tremendous result for everyone involved, from our breeders through to the bakery team that brought this concept to life."
2025 Santa Gertrudis Breed Ambassador Eleni Fogden with the mighty Santa pie at this year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show.
The award-winning pie featured beef supplied by Queensland processor Nolan Meats from purebred Santa Gertrudis cattle sourced from the nearby Wide Bay region and short fed for 70 days at the company's Cinnabar feedlot west of Gympie.
“The result reinforces the breed's growing reputation for producing high-quality beef that delivers outstanding eating experiences from paddock to plate,” Mr Cooper said. "Santa Gertrudis cattle are renowned for their ability to thrive in challenging Australian environments while still producing cattle that grade exceptionally well under the Meat Standards Australia eating quality system.
"Whether finished on grass or in short-fed programs such as this one, Santa Gertrudis cattle consistently produce tender, flavoursome beef. “That combination of adaptability, efficiency and eating quality helps lower production costs while increasing value and profitability throughout the beef supply chain – a win for industry and consumers alike.” The success follows a two-year collaboration between the Santa Gertrudis Breeders' (Australia) Association and the Baking Association of Australia to introduce Santa Gertrudis beef pies to consumers at the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Over the past two years, more than 6000 Mighty Santa Pies have been sold to appreciative patrons, providing a unique opportunity to showcase the quality and flavour of Santa Gertrudis beef to a broad consumer audience. More Santa beef coming Today's announcement comes at an exciting time for the breed and those who enjoy their red meat. In one week's time, visitors to AgQuip, Australia's largest agricultural machinery field day at Gunnedah, NSW will have the opportunity to enjoy authentic Santa Gertrudis beef on steak sandwiches cooked fresh daily at the Santa Gertrudis site from 18-20 August. The pie award also comes less than a fortnight before the culmination of a major Santa Gertrudis feedlot performance trial, with more than 430 head of Santa Gertrudis cattle set to be processed before winners are announced at an industry event in Boonah, Qld on August 30. Mr Cooper said both initiatives highlighted the growing focus on measurable performance and consumer outcomes within the breed. "Whether it's a gold medal-winning pie, a steak sandwich at AgQuip or performance data from commercial feedlot cattle, the common thread is the quality and consistency that Santa Gertrudis cattle are delivering," he said. Following the success of the Easter Show partnership, recent carcase competition success in Central Queensland and now the Royal Sydney Fine Food Awards win, Mr Cooper said plans were underway to take the Mighty Santa Pie to a new and discerning customer base at Beef 2027 in Rockhampton. "We expect the feedback from Beef 2027 patrons will be just as outstanding," he said. "For nearly 75 years, Santa Gertrudis breeders have been building cattle capable of thriving in Australia's toughest environments. “Winning the highest-scoring pie at the Royal Sydney Fine Food Awards is proof that this resilience doesn't come at the expense of eating quality. It delivers exactly the opposite: exceptional beef that consumers actively seek out and revisit due to its consistency and flavour." Brad Cooper, General Manager | E: gm@santagertrudis.com.au | Ph: 0407 590 930