South West pubs set to compete in high steaks cook-off

A nicely cooked slab of steak, a bit of chutney, the right choice of greens or multiple slices of cheese — what makes the perfect steak sandwich? It’s the question nine South West eateries are desperate to prove they can answer as they go head-to-head with other metro and regional pubs as part of a Statewide steak sandwich competition, with the winners to be decided by public vote. The Australian Hotels Association (WA) has announced voting is now open to determine which WA venues take home the glory in the 2024 AHA & Little Creatures WA’s Best Steak Sandwich Competition. Each of the nine South West pubs have started selling their entries, and voting is open online. Find out more about each of their offerings below. Brunswick Tavern owner Mark McKay said the their steak sandwich came with a special caramelised onion — and sells at a good price. “We get so much great feedback from the public that it’s one of the best steak sandwiches they have had and they come back for it again and again,” he said. “Some have said they have travelled around Australia and it’s the best they have had.” Hilton Garden Inn Busselton sales and marketing executive Ellie Stuart Dodd said their Mexican inspired sandwich was sure to stand out from the other worthy contenders. “We have taken the Aussie pub classic and given it a Mexican twist,” she said. “The pico de gallo (salsa) adds zing (and) the house made tortilla chips add crunch. “Our sandwich has all the classic staples; excellent steak, great quality bread, cheese, fresh leaves — but it’s the little extras that make it an exciting prospect, and we believe set it apart from other worthy contenders.” Bunbury’s Rose Hotel manager Mat Jeffery said ingredients for the hotel’s steak sandwich were sourced from the South West. “Our chef has selected local ingredients such as the South West beef, Bunbury Captain Coffin pure single rum smoked bacon, cheese, and local Capel butter to name a few,” he said. “Our speciality steak sandwich is full of flavours, where you’ll find juicy steak, a fluffy Turkish roll infused with garlic and butter, and the smoky, sweet-and-sour flavour of our homemade bacon jam, plus other toppings that complement the overall flavour — all served with the chef’s special spiced chips that are to die for.” Eaton Tavern manager Ben Frazer said chef Kwon and his team have built an impressive menu since the venue came under new management and reopened eight months ago. “He saw the competition as a great way to promote the Tavern, showcase local ingredients and take our new menu to the next level,” he said. “We’ve included South West Black Angus scotch steak, bacon blanched with Margaret River shiraz to reduce that pork smell and fat, and we’ve even used local balsamic for our red onion jam. “We make everything in house here at Eaton, from our aioli using black garlic that we cooked ourselves, to our onion jam, special onion ranch and our chip seasoning.” Treendale Farm Hotel manager Laura McGill said her team were proud to showcase their creativity in the competition and the stand-out factor of their sandwich is also local ingredients which complement each other. “Our entry for for the competition includes a scotch fillet steak, sharp cheddar cheese, bacon jam, aioli, Beerfarm pale ale brined crispy onion, fresh rocket, tomatoes, pickles on a toasted turkish roll served with chips, and herb and mustard dipping sauce,” she said. “From the beef to our Beerfarm pale ale brined crispy onions and our home made sweet and tangy bacon jam, every element we included combines to create the perfect steak sandwich.” Onya Pub Classics Busselton owner Onya Yukselen said Busselton deserves to eat the best steak sandwich in WA and their sandwich will be a big favourite. “In our steak sandwich, we use premium fillet steak, Cambray’s creamy brie cheese and their homemade fig jam, peppery arugola, crisp spanish onion, semi-dried tomato and smokey mustard mayonnaise between freshly baked submarine sandwich bread serve with basil salt flavoured chips,” he said. “Like water and air, fresh cooked and well seasoned crispy chips are a necessity. Our chips are cooked fresh every single order and flavoured with basil salt for a nice herby touch.” Settlers Tavern Margaret River managing director Rob Gough said the hotel’s steak sandwich was already their best seller. “Our steak sandwich features tender Texas-style beef brisket, bacon jam, smoked tomato relish, rocket, and pickles, all set on huge slabs of toasted white bread — our secret weapon — served with hot crispy chips,” he said “It’s our best seller with well over a thousand sangers a month coming off our grill. “Throwing our hat in the ring is great fun for our chef and a good chance to sharpen our edge to continuously improve our offerings.” Burger Baby in Margaret River and The Rec Waroona are also on the list for public votes. AHA (WA) chief executive office Bradley Woods said there were 70 venues participating in the competition with “some truly outstanding entries” that are sure to impress. “Now in its 17th year, WA’s Best Steak Sandwich Competition is a culinary contest that inspires chefs across the State to produce the very best version of what is a truly classic pub meal,” he said. Voting is now open until May 27, and the finalists are determined using a combination of online votes, judging criteria and mystery judge visits. Four finalists will be determined from regional WA in addition to four from Perth, who then compete in a cook-off in front of a live audience at the AHA Hospitality Expo at Crown Perth June 25 and 26.