Media Launch: National Bacon Week and the $120 Bacon & Egg Roll at 4Fourteen, Surry Hills (13 May 2013)

72a Fitzroy Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

http://www.4fourteen.com.au

Bringing home the bacon

“Australian Bacon Week is an initiative to highlight the pink square PorkMark label – the only guaranteed way consumers can choose 100 per cent pure home grown Australian bacon. ‘Made in Australia’ does not mean the product is made from Australian grown pork, only that it has been manufactured here. So some 65% of bacon sold here is made here from pork that is imported frozen, thawed out and then manufactured into bacon in Australia”

There's not many things that get me out of bed earlier than normal but the opportunity to try a ridiculously priced Bacon & Egg Roll ($120) seems to be one of those things. Head Chef Carla Jones (pictured above) is responsible for the decadent menu addition for those with money to burn at 4Fourteen in support of National Bacon Week 12–19 May. The rich flavours certainly go well together but I'd recommend mere mortals first check with their bank manager before ordering and perhaps their doctor as I fear it contains enough calories to break your daily recommendation. Not only is it the most expensive roll in Sydney but it was also the most photographed at the event. I guess anything this expensive is bound to attract media attention. I'm now waiting for someone to create a lobster roll with scallops, prawns and caviar all in a gold leafed brioche bun with a dozen freshly shucked oysters on the side instead of chips for twice as much. 

For the cheap punter there's a $30 version available without foie gras, caviar and shaved truffle although this still comes in at around 5 times more than my regular bacon & egg roll with a coffee near my work. What my regular place won't have but wished they did is the National award-winning bacon from Slade Point Meat Specialists in Mackay, Queensland. For something a bit closer to home I'm tempted to visit the National winner for short cut bacon from Stapleton's Family Meats in Gymea. Other restaurants taking part in Bacon Week with their own decadent bacon & egg roll are 3 Weeds Hotel, Bishop Sessa, Boston, Grasshopper and Huxtaburger. Not sure of their pricing but it definitely won't be more than $120.

Thanks Stewart White from Whiteworks Public Relations for inviting me to the event.

SNAPSHOT REVIEW:

PROS: Australia makes very good quality bacon 

CONS: I can't afford/justify a $120 bacon & egg roll

MUST TRY: Getting my hands on some national award winning bacon to fry up at home

VERDICT: I'm hoping someone in Sydney will be making a more economical bacon & egg roll using the national winning bacon from Slade Point Meat Specialists so I afford to try it

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Bacon & Egg Roll (media launch mini sampler) with award-winning full rasher Australian bacon from Slade Point Meat Specialists, duck egg cooked in truffle butter, roasted foie gras, 18-month cave-aged cheddar, shaved truffle, semi dried smoked gourmet truss tomato with a crème fraîche and caviar dressing, served on a brioche bun.

Rich flavours work well together although I'd love to try the bacon just on its own

Chefs Carla Jones and Colin Fassnidge with kitchen team

Best Australian Bacon by butcher Steve Chapman from Slade Point Meat Specialists in Mackay, Queensland

Chef Colin Fassnidge (centre), Mark Stapleton (right) National winner for short cut bacon from Stapleton's Family Meats, Gymea

Mitch Edwards; Andrew Spencer, Stewart White

David Blue (NSW State winner full bacon rasher, Kenthurst Butchery), Steve Chapman (National winner full rasher bacon, Slade Point Meats), Stewart White, Chef Colin Fassnidge, Martin Carr

Photo time

Louise Tran (OzHarvest), Rosie Fittler (ACP Books Australian Women's Weekly cookbooks)

Chef Paul Cooper (Bishop Sessa), Chef Lauren Murdoch (3 Weeds), Dane Richards (Le Von Vivant)

A few nice looking wines

Very cool light feature

4Fourteen menu

Toilet humor

'Friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life' — Homer Simpson

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Australian Bacon Week: Media Launch, Sydney (7 March 2011)

Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, Bayside Level 2
Darling Drive, Darling Harbour NSW 2000
http://www.pork.com.au

Waking up to Australian bacon

During Australian Bacon Week, 7 –13 March, hundreds of licensees around the country will be conducting in-store promotions which include bacon taste testing, price promotions as well as Australian bacon buy one get one free specials among other localised events.

Thanks to Stewart White from Whiteworks Public Relations for inviting me along to this Australian Pork media launch held at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre with great views over Darling Habour and the city skyline. There are only a few things in life that will get me up early in the morning such as an International flight or a big road trip to avoid traffic and the possibility of some free bacon seems to be on this small list — although I do know it’s a normal time for the rest of the working world to be getting up. Today the 8 am event was for the much loved and adored bacon — and more importantly for the 100% Australian variety. Apparently there are currently 293 butchers and smallgoods producers licensed to display the PorkMark on their products. Since the inception of Australian Bacon Week in 2010, the number of licensees nationwide has more than doubled which I'm sure will all help to educate the public.

To help fill the early morning stomachs a few bacon inspired canapés were served up with orange juice and surprisingly decent coffee — although a simple bacon and egg roll would have sufficed for me like the one in the poster. The savoury English style bacon and pumpkin scone with chive mascarpone had small pieces of bacon throughout which were only slightly noticeable. I couldn’t quite taste the bacon in the Bacon and hazelnut focaccia with rosemary tapenade but it was freshly made and quite tasty. For a fuller tasting bacon experience the Pistachio and cognac chipolata wrapped in green bacon was cooked in the function room which attracted other conference attendees to accidently walk in from adjoining functions — probably due to the distinctive alluring bacon smell. 'Green' bacon actually means fresh bacon rather than being green in colour, which I actually thought it might have been — silly me. I would have loved a bit of tomato relish dipping sauce with it. I thought the Mini bacon and quail egg flan with goats curd and green olive pesto was also good and just the right size to enjoy a couple or more — an all-in-one bacon and egg tasting experience.

A couple of the NSW State level winners for the Full Rasher category were present to receive their awards. John Stojkovic from Pronto Smallgoods and Butchery in Carramar received 3rd place and Jason Rooke from Coota Valley Meats in Engadine received 2nd place. I wish we had the opportunity to sample the winning bacons somehow, simply cooked up and served in all their natural tastiness — maybe next year. At the end of the event all attendees received a goodie cooler bag of some of the National winning Schulz Smokehouse Bacon from Barossa Fine Foods — a weekend breakfast treat is now in hand.

OVERALL WINNER
Australia’s Best Bacon: Barossa Fine Foods, Schulz Butchers – Elizabeth West SA

National winners - Full Rasher
1st - Metcalf Quality Meats, Evans Head NSW
2nd - Coota Valley Meats, Engadine NSW
3rd - Pronto Smallgoods and Butchery, Carramar NSW

National winners - Low Fat
1st - Barossa Fine Foods, Schulz Butchers, Elizabeth West SA
2nd - Stamfords of Brentwood, Brentwood WA
3rd - Kanmantoo Bacon Company, Kanmantoo SA

For a complete list of 2011 winners click here.

Other National Bacon Week Launch events:
• 7 March 2011 – Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
• 15 March 2010 – Pendolino media launch

English style bacon and pumpkin scone with chive mascarpone

Bacon and hazelnut focaccia with rosemary tapenade

Pistachio and cognac chipolata wrapped in green bacon

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Mini bacon and quail egg flan with goats curd and green olive pesto

SIMON FAVOURITE :-)

Orange juice

Cappuccino and Mocha — both decently made with little bitterness, didn't need to add any sugar

Hot chocolate — nice flavour and not too sweet

Coffee and cooking station

Alyce and Stewart getting a sneaky photo of the bacon cooking

Andrew Spencer, Stuart White and Martin Carr getting ready for announcement of Australia's Best Bacon

Speech time

Martin Carr, Australian PorkMark program

Andrew Spencer, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Pork

NSW State Awards: John Stojkovic (left) from Pronto Smallgoods and Butchery receives 3rd place Full Rasher; Jason Rooke (right) from Coota Valley Meats receives 2nd Place Full Rasher

Goodie bag sample: Australia's Best Bacon 1st Place National Winner - Schulz Smokehouse Bacon from Barossa Fine Foods, Schulz Butchers

Nice balcony view of Darling Harbour and city skyline

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