Butcher wins top prize at Foodex Meatex

- Published: 07 April, 2008

A Wolverhampton butcher took top prize for his Traditional Pork Sausage at this year's National Federation of Meat & Food Trader's (NFMFT) National Supreme Product Championships.

A Wolverhampton butcher fought off tough competition at this year's National Federation of Meat & Food Trader's (NFMFT) National Supreme Product Championships to take top prize for his Traditional Pork Sausage.

The competition, which took place at Foodex Meatex in Birmingham yesterday, (6 April) attracted over 400 mouth-watering entries from butchers across the country, with prizes for sausages, beef burgers and black pudding up for grabs.

Head judge for the NFMFT, John Taylor, commented on the "exceptional quality" of entries at the competition, which resulted in 40 Gold certificates, six National Category Winners* and a Supreme Champion.

The Supreme Championship Trophy was won by butcher Paul Riley, who entered the competition almost by accident. Paul, who works for Alan Bennett's of Wednesfield, said: "I am delighted to have won, it's just fantastic. I have been so busy recently that I just had time to pick up a 1lb of sausages to enter the show, I asked my wife if it was even worth entering!

"The sausages are made with all fresh ingredients sourced from local farms, I think that is the secret to my success."

As well as the trophy, Paul took home a set of Avery Berkel scales.

* The National Category Winners were:

Traditional Pork Sausage - Paul Riley

Speciality Lamb or Beef Sausage - Michael Kennedy, of Holywell, Flintshire for a Lamb & Apricot sausage.

Beefburger - Andrew Jackson, of Nantwich.

Black Pudding - Andrew Holt, of Haslingden

Speciality Pork Sausage - John Howarth, of Manchester, with his 'Welsh Twizzler'

Speciality Burger - Malcolm Pyne, of Somerset, with his 'Beefburger Meltdown'.