The Lucky Pig has won four national gold medals at the 2026 Australian Meat Excellence Awards, with standout results across bacon, kabana, kransky and smoked chicken.
These were not just gold medals. These were high-scoring results under a judging system designed to find faults, with our products scoring between 95 and 100 points at national level.
- Jalapeño Kabana — 100/100
- Cheese Kransky — 99/100
- Free-Range Smoked Chicken Breast — 97/100
- Free-Range Short Cut Bacon — 95/100
For us, that is the real story. Four different products, four different categories, and four national gold medal results from products made in-store at The Lucky Pig in Bentleigh.
What are the Australian Meat Excellence Awards?
The Australian Meat Excellence Awards recognise quality, consistency and craftsmanship across the meat industry. Products are judged in specific classes and categories, with points deducted for flaws in appearance, composition, consistency, aroma and taste.
Every product starts at 100 points. Judges then look for reasons to mark it down.
That means a score of 95 or above is already a gold medal result. To finish on 99 or 100 means there was almost nothing to fault.
Our 2026 national gold medal results
Jalapeño Kabana — 100/100
Our Jalapeño Kabana received a perfect score of 100/100 in the Kabana category.
This product is built around a traditional coarse grind, balanced seasoning, clean smoke and controlled jalapeño heat. The key is balance. You want the chilli to be there, but not take over the whole product.
A perfect score tells us the structure, flavour, smoke and eating quality all held up under national judging.
Cheese Kransky — 99/100
Our Cheese Kransky scored 99/100 in the Kransky category.
A good kransky has to deliver on bite, smoke, seasoning, texture and cheese distribution. The cheese should add richness without overwhelming the sausage.
This was one point off perfect, which is a huge result in a technical smallgoods category.
Available in store at The Lucky Pig, 452 Centre Road, Bentleigh and also online.
You can also see it used in our Cheese Kransky Mac & Cheese recipe.
Free-Range Smoked Chicken Breast — 97/100
Our Free-Range Smoked Chicken Breast scored 97/100 in the Chicken / Turkey category.
Smoked chicken is one of those products where there is nowhere to hide. It needs to stay moist, carry clean smoke, hold seasoning properly and still taste like quality chicken.
The judges noted good even flavour, which is exactly what we aim for with this product: clean, balanced smoke and proper eating quality.
Free-Range Short Cut Bacon — 95/100
Our Free-Range Short Cut Bacon scored 95/100 in the Short Loin Bacon category, earning a national gold medal.
Bacon sounds simple until you try to make it properly and consistently. Cure balance, smoke, texture, slicing, cook-up and eating quality all matter.
This result confirms it as a gold medal bacon, with only minor presentation-level deductions at judging.
Why these scores matter
Anyone can say “award-winning”. What matters is how the product performs when it is judged properly.
These scores show consistency across multiple product types:
- 100/100 for kabana
- 99/100 for kransky
- 97/100 for smoked chicken
- 95/100 for bacon
That spread matters. It shows this was not one lucky result. It reflects process, product development and day-to-day standards across our smallgoods range.
Why this matters to customers
If you are shopping at The Lucky Pig, these results give you confidence that the products in our cabinet are being made to a nationally recognised standard.
These are products made in-store, judged against serious competition, and recognised at gold medal level.
- Free-Range Short Cut Bacon — for breakfast, BLTs, pasta and everyday cooking
- Jalapeño Kabana — for grazing boards, snacks and entertaining
- Cheese Kransky — available in store at Bentleigh
- Free-Range Smoked Chicken Breast — for salads, sandwiches, platters and easy meals
Backed by consistency, not a one-off result
This 2026 result builds on the work we have been doing over the past few years to develop stronger, more consistent smallgoods at The Lucky Pig.
You can also read more about our previous award results here:
- Competition Results
- The Lucky Pig at the 2024 Australian Charcuterie Excellence Awards
- The Lucky Pig IFFA 2025 Results
Visit The Lucky Pig in Bentleigh
If you want to try our 2026 national gold medal products, visit us in store at 452 Centre Road, Bentleigh, or shop selected products online.
Whether you are shopping for breakfast, entertaining, easy lunches, grazing boards or quality smallgoods made by a team that genuinely cares about the end result, these products represent some of the best of what we do.
Map link:
The Lucky Pig on Google Maps