Following a round of intense judging by some of the industry’s leading experts, more than 230 of the nation’s catering sausages have been whittled down to just fifteen, in a bid to find ‘Britain’s Best Sausage’ for 2013.
Recognising and rewarding sausages
With sausages topping the menu popularity charts, having quality and award-winning varieties will keep customers coming back for more in today’s competitive environment. That’s why the annual BPEX Foodservice Pork Sausage of the Year Competition is so important; recognising and rewarding the diverse range of assured and Red Tractor sausages available today.
After hours of sampling and deliberation, the judges selected three of the highest scoring sausages from each of the competition’s five categories. The final fifteen will now go forward to the grand final at Butchers Hall on 25 October 2013, where one will be crowned ‘Overall Champion’.
BPEX’s foodservice trade manager, Tony Goodger said: “We had an enormously hard task this year as both the numbers and standard of sausage entries this year was overwhelming. Not only were there record entries of Traditional, Speciality and Innovative sausages, the two new categories to reflect the growing markets for sausage exports and healthy eating/special dietary varieties were well supported.
“Imaginative examples, such as ‘Vietnamese Style Pork, Chilli & Spring Onion Sausage’, ‘Pork, Leek & Welsh Rarebit Sausage’ and ‘Gluten Free, Low Salt, Low Fat Pork Sausage’ are joining ‘Traditional Pork’ and ‘Breakfast’ favourites in what will be an exciting final.”
British Sausage week, 4 – 10 November
The annual competition marks the start of a much wider sausage celebration. Tony added: “The competition runs alongside British Sausage Week (4-10 November), which gives outlets and all of the award-winners a fantastic platform to raise awareness for their quality sausages and boost sales.”
The fifteen sausages will be put to the taste test one final time, after which the Overall Champion will be announced. The finalists are:
Category 1 – Traditional Pork Sausage Category
- ‘Breakfast Sausage’ from Moss Valley Fine Meats
- ‘Traditional Pork Sausage’ from Cam Family Butchers
- ‘Traditional Pork Sausage’ from Althams Catering Butchers
Category 2 – Speciality Pork Sausage Category
- ‘Pork & Chorizo Sausage’ from Underwood Meat Company Ltd
- ‘Pork, Sundried Tomato & Basil Sausage’ from R&J Yorkshire’s Finest Farmers & Butchers Ltd
- ‘Sweet Chilli & Lime Pork Sausage’ from Sausage Manufacturers (G White & Co)
Category 3 – Best Innovative Pork Sausage Category
- ‘Dragons Fury Ring of Fire’ from A Turner & Sons Ltd
- ‘Pork, Leek & Welsh Rarebit Sausage’ from Althams Catering Butchers
- ‘Vietnamese Style Pork, Chilli & Spring Onion Sausage’ from Fairfax Meadow
Category 4 – Best Export Pork Sausage Category
- ‘Honey Roast Pork Sausage’ from Westaway Sausages Ltd
- ‘Toulouse Sausage’ from Fairfax Meadow
- ‘Lincolnshire Sausage’ from Langford’s Welsh Sausage Co Ltd
Category 5 – Best Healthy Eating Pork Sausage Category
- ‘Gluten Free Pork, Leek and Red Pepper Sausage’ from Aubrey Allen
- ‘Reduced Fat & MSG Free Cumberland Sausage’ from R&J Yorkshire’s Finest Farmers & Butchers Ltd
- ‘Gluten Free, Low Salt, Low Fat Pork Sausage’ from Langford’s Welsh Sausage Co Ltd