Grays Modern Meats win best bacon title at the 2024 Australian Charcuterie Excellence Awards

A humble butchery tucked away on a suburban street is producing Australia’s best bacon, according to a panel of expert meat eaters. Here is where you can find it.

Grays Modern Meat Mart owner Michael Needham with the business' award-winning bacon. The business won the title of Australia's best bacon at the 2024 Australian Charcuterie Excellence Awards.

It’s official. Australia’s best bacon can be purchased from Grays Modern Meat Mart, in Newtown, Toowoomba.

The humble butchery is tucked away on Taylor Street where it developed a reputation for producing top notch meat.

Rows of trophies sit atop the display cabinets, a testament to a legacy that stretches back to 1952.

At the weekend it added a few more honours, taking out the title of Australia’s best middle rashers, long belly bacon at the 2024 Australian Charcuterie Excellence Awards.

Owner Michael Needham said customers have been beating a path to his door since the win was announced.

“It is a big win for the business,” he said

“We have been getting a lot of foot traffic from it, we have been getting a lot of people from Brisbane.”

The 2024 drew 835 entries across ten distinguished classes and 35 categories, with a panel of six expert tasters ranking the winners.

Along with the best middle rasher, Grays Modern Meats won a gold for its short cut bacon and honey beer stick, along with a silver for its boneless ham and a bronze for its jerky.

Mr Needham and his team started by sourcing quality female pork carcasses from Swickers Bacon Factory at Kingaroy.

He corns and pickles the cuts for two days before the meat is wood smoked on site and cooled, all using a closely guarded recipe of herb and spices.

Mr Needlam said he learnt his trade from the businesses former owner Mark Nolan – himself an award-winning butcher who claimed many Sausage King crowns.

“I started my apprenticeship under Mark in 2008 and took over in 2022,” he said.

“He taught me everything, how to market our produce, his secret recipes and he really passed on the legacy of the Sausage King.”

As for his tips on how to cook the best bacon, Mr Needham said to keep it simple.

“Cook in the frying pan, or a cast-iron skillet, I like it not too crispy,” he said.