ONCE AGAIN, the world's top cattle producers are eyeing up their best beasts in preparation for the annual intercontinental battle of the beef that is the World Steak Challenge.

Designed to benchmark the quality of beef production internationally, the competition, now in its fourth year, will award gold, silver and bronze medals to entries of rib eye, fillet and sirloin steaks from all over the world.

Last year's overall winner – and therefore 'best steak in the world' – came from ABP Poland, but the two previous years brought victory for Australian cattle ranch, Jack's Creek, entered by European importer Albers GMBH. All the overall winners so far have been grain-fed sirloins.

The live judging and awards event will take place on Wednesday, July 4, in London. Organiser Aidan Fortune said: “The World Steak Challenge is about celebrating the pleasure and the benefits of eating steak as part of a healthy, balanced diet. This ultimate test of rib eye, fillet and sirloin highlights the quality and premium standard of beef production across the globe.

“Every year we are served with an embarrassment of top quality steaks," he said. "All three competitions have been incredibly close and I’m sure 2018 will be no different as we cast the net even wider in the search for premium steak production.”

Entries in last year’s World Steak Challenge were received from 17 countries, with 10 of them securing gold medals, and of the 17 golds awarded, seven were for rib eye, five for sirloin and five for fillet. Nine of the winners were grain-fed and eight grass-fed.

The 10 gold medal winning countries were Australia, Brazil, England, Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Spain, and the USA.

Award categories in the 2018 challenge are:

• World’s Best Steak;

• World’s Best Steak Producer;

• World’s Best Rib Eye Steak;

• World’s Best Fillet Steak;

• World’s Best Sirloin Steak;

• World’s Best Grass-fed Steak;

• World’s Best Grain-fed Steak.

The closing date for this year’s competition is Monday, June 4.