The Last Local chef and owner, Mickey Phull, has again seared his name into the history books, taking out Perth’s 2026 Best Steak Sandwich Competition.
The mastermind behind the sandwich — who is no stranger to the top tier of the competition — delivered a tantalising offering in front of a roaring group of his family and friends.
He took the crown, for a fifth time, with a $31 scotch fillet on toasted sourdough with crispy bacon, crunchy onions, smoky aioli, rocket, tomato, and melted cheese, served next to a generous side of chips.
Judges said it was the incomparable fangability, rashers of maple candied bacon and wedge of deep-fried Camembert cheese which set it apart from the competitive field.
Mr Phull was previously head chef at Karalee on Preston, where his tasty creations ensured the Como establishment took home the Australian Hotels Association WA award for Best Steak Sandwich on three occasions.
On Wednesday, he secured the title for The Last Local for its second time.
“I’m so excited,” he said.
“I’m excited for my chefs, and I’m excited for the business.
“We will continue providing the absolute best steak sandwich throughout the year and come up with the new one next year, so hopefully we could do it again next year, but this year we’ve got the bragging rights.”
Following the announcement, a jubilant Mr Phull declared all his staff could take the day off to party.
“It would not have happened without these guys, they put their heart and soul into this,” he said.
Although Mr Phull admitted he was shocked to win, he said he knew his sandwich had the “it” factor.
“I had one last night, just to make sure, and I had one for breakfast, and I knew I couldn’t make it any better,” he said.
“This had it… it was sensational, the amount of sugar levels, the caramelisation of the onions, the crusty bread, it all played a part.”
The high-stakes cook-off saw the Canning Vale venue face off against some of the metropolitan area’s culinary heavyweights including Carrington’s Bar and Grill in Hamilton Hill — who were going for their third win in a row — Sorrento Beach Club, and the Stirling Arms Hotel in Guildford.
“This competition is a celebration of how far the humble steak sandwich has evolved in WA, particularly when it comes to fangability,” AHAWA chief executive Bradley Woods said.
“The competition brings together venues from across the state to showcase their creativity, technique and understanding of what makes a great pub favourite, and once again the standard was extremely high across both finals.”
On Tuesday The Exchange Hotel in Pinjarra won best steak sandwich in the Country WA category.
The Exchange’s sandwich — which will leave customers $32 out of pocket — is based around beef fresh from Midway Farm, local to Pinjarra, which judges agreed made Brown’s sanga most “fangable”.
The Exchange Hotel owner Karl Bullers expected the award would bring even more customers through the doors of his renovated, renowned pub.
“It’s sensational,” he said.
“We currently sell between 300 and 400 steak sandwiches a week. Now we’ve won, it’ll go through the roof.”
Premier Roger Cook, one of the four judges on Tuesday, praised the important role country pubs play across regional Western Australia.
“Country pubs are essential,” he said.
“They are the town square in the modern village. They’re where people interact with their community and they’re part of the fabric and soul of every country town.”
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