Marama Organics lamb voted one of New Zealand's tastiest

Marama Organics has been awarded second place in the Open Class category at the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Golden Lamb Awards, which aim to find New Zealand's most tender and delicious lamb

Farmer and first-time finalist Graham Clarke is delighted to be recognised at The Glammies for the farm's quality organic product, processed by Silver Fern farms.

"The team at Marama are passionate about improving human health, through food, farming and friendship," says Graham. "We love to share our food, our organic farm and our lives with New Zealanders and people from all over the world. We are very proud to be awarded second place in the category. This is an endorsement of the excellence of our lamb and helps to spread the word about what we do here at the bottom of the South Island."

Each year since 2007, the Glammies aim to find the highest yielding, most tender and tasty lamb in New Zealand. This year 150 entrants competed for first prize.

Twenty finalists were selected using an extensive testing process at Carne Technologies. Lamb legs from each finalist were tasted by a panel of judges at this year's Upper Clutha A & P Show in Wanaka on Friday 9th March. Judges, including the Rt Hon John Key, Prime Minister, 2011 Supercross World Cup Champion Sarah Walker, 2012 Beef + Lamb New Zealand Ambassador Chef Ben Batterbury and Chief Judge and Invercargill chef Graham Hawkes, worked their way through plate after plate of perfectly cooked lamb to pick the country's tastiest and most succulent meat.

Marama Organics aims to grow organic food for people that is both nutritious and delicious.

"It's very important to us that our food is tasty and healthy to eat and that means our animals need to be healthy," says Graham. "Our stock manager believes the quality of any meat is 98% feeding, 2% breeding. That's why this year we've included fortnightly doses of organic liquid seaweed and cider vinegar for our 4,000 ewes and 5,000 lambs to improve their health. This award is proof that the TLC we put into managing our organic farm translates into a great taste experience for our customers."

Customers can buy New Zealand's tastiest organic lamb products online directly from the farm at www.maramaorganics.co.nz. The Marama Organic Farm team will be at the Wellington Food Show in May and the Auckland Food Show in August, where customers who want to buy regularly can arrange to have their organic lamb and gluten free sausages delivered from the farm to their home.