Champion of Champions 2010 Winner

A butcher has bounced back from a devastating fire to take the UK's ultimage sausage accolade and be declared Champion of Champions.

Simon Haigh, who runs Bolster Moore Farm Shop, took the title with hsi traditional thick pork sausage after beating off competition from 25 other champion sausages in the commpetition held in London on Monday, 25th October.

Champion of Champions, organised and run by Meat Trades Journal is an annual competition, which sees the best susages from righ across the Uk pitched togetther to pick ou the ultimate winner.  With 19 butchers taking part inthis year's event, the competition was particularly tough and judges were keen to praise the high standard of entries.  Ed Bedington, editor of MTJ, said: "The overriding comment from our judges this year was that the overall standard of all the sausages entered was exceptionally good, which of course gave them a tough job."

New Business
Simon, a previous winner of the competition in 2006, suffered a major setback earlier in the year, when his business at Hinchcliffe Farm Shop, Huddersfield, was destroyed in a fire.  However, the businessman bounced back with his new shop at Bolster Moor, also in Huddersfield, and is now celebrating his success, which he puts down to teamwork.

"For us as a new business, a new start, winning this has been absolutely fantastic, but it's very much a team errort.  We like to think we do that little bit extra, and try that little bit harder, and everyone gets involved.  There's input from everyone inthe team."

For those looking to follow in his footsteps, So, Simon says that the key is to listen to the judges and take on board what they say: "You need to listen to the constructive criticisms you get from entering competitions and inf out how you can improve each time."

Out of the 26 sausages entered into the competition, five made it through to the final cook-off, two of which belonged to Haigh, with his winning thick pork and a thick mature cheddar & chive pork sausages.  Others making it through to the top table included:
Christopher Cripps, of Green's of Pangbourne, with an original pork sausage; Martin Martindale, of Greenfield Pork, with a pork, goats cheese and watercress sausage; and Tristan Meier of H Dayus Family Butchedrs with a pork, tomato and Worcestershire sauce sausage.

Beddington added: "I'd like to congratulate all our finalists.  It's great to see butchers continuing to fly the flag for premium bangers."

The 2010 competition sponsors were Bpex, Lucas Ingredients and Naturin/Viscofan's Colfan HL.

>> Find out about the 2011 Champion of Champion's competition

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