Two local independent butchers have again taken out top awards at this year’s Australian Meat Industry Council NSW and ACT Sausage King and Best Butchers Burger Competition’s Far South Coast awards.
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Bega’s Allan Miles of Bega Valley Meats and Barrabarroo Farm Fresh Meats’s John Tracey of Quaama together picked up over half of the placings on offer on Thursday.
“We blitzed it,” Mr Miles said after taking home first place with his traditional Australian beef sausages and home-style beef burgers.
Mr Miles is most pleased with his traditional beef sausage win, in a category he describes as “the covenant prize”.
“I reckon it’s the one every butcher wants to win,” he said with a smile.
He thanked his local farmers and staff for helping him with his five placings overall.
“Using local quality products are important and all our beef comes from out here so it’s a credit to our farmers as well,” he said.
Both Mr Miles and Mr Tracey will now be heading to Bathurst in late September for the state finals.
“I will definitely be making the effort to go this year,” Mr Miles said the state award ceremony despite qualifying in previous years.
The judging took place inside Bega’s TAFE campus on Thursday as judges munched there way through 48 sausage and eight burger entries in a range of shapes, sizes and flavour combinations.
Unusual flavours this year included Peking duck, maple bacon, chicken ricotta and beef with cranberry sauce.
Australian Meat Industry Council member services officer Craig Wright said on Thursday the popularity of sausages has increased as traditional cuts of meat have risen in price.
“The judges will look at the sausages uncooked and make sure there are no air-pockets, that they are not too mushy compared to the cooked version and that they don’t shrivel because of too much oil,” he said of the judging process.
“In this region if you can win a top place your sales will definitely go up.”