They call them bangers, snarlers and barbeque fodder but some butchers are taking New Zealand sausages to new culinary heights.
The best butchers plan and experiment for months before entering the annual Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition in the hope of landing the title for the country’s best sausage.
More than 450 butchers enter the awards which began in 1994. Here are results from the 2016 competition.
The best sausages in the North Island
Supreme Award
Chicken, Lime & Lemongrass
Mangawhai Meat Shop, Mangawhai
Devro New Zealand Wildcard Winner
Free Range Chicken & Parsley
Col’s Butchery, Mt Maunganui
Gold Medals
Flavoured
Beef Flavour
Greytown Butcher, Greytown
Poultry
Free Range Chicken & Parsley
Col’s Butchery, Mt Maunganui
Chicken, Lime & Lemongrass
Mangawhai Meat Shop, Mangawhai
Pre-cooked
Classic Saveloys
Hellers
Continental fresh
Fresh Chorizo
New World Stonefields, Auckland
Black Pudding/rounds
White Pudding
Waikanae Butchery, Kapiti Coast, Wellington
Gourmet beef
Reuben’s Made in Store, Beef, Mushroom & Parmesan
Aussie Butcher New Lynn, Auckland
Silver Medals
Pork
Traditional Pork
Ellerslie Meats, Ellerslie, Auckland
Flavoured
Preston’s Beef Flavoured
Preston’s Master Butchers, Wellington, Palmerston North, Porirua
Continental fresh
Traditional Toulouse
L’Authentique, Auckland, Wellington, Katakana, Mt Maunganui, Hamilton, Napier, New Plymouth, Wanganui
Continental ready-to-eat
Smoked Romanian Pork & Garlic
Magills Butchery, Te Awamutu,
Black pudding/rounds
Black Pudding
Ellerslie Meats, Ellerslie, Auckland
Gourmet varietal
Lamb, Pumpkin, Feta & Chives
New World Stanmore, Stanmore Bay, Auckland
Bronze medallists
Pork
Reuben’s Made in Store, Free Farmed True Pork
Aussie Butcher New Lynn, Auckland
Flavoured
Pork Flavoured
Countdown, (National)
Pre-cooked
Original Cocktails
Hellers (National)
Poultry
Chicken, Spinach & Pinenut
Elite Meats, Hamilton
Traditional flavour
Reuben’s Made in Store, Pork, Sage & Onion
Aussie Butcher, New Lynn, Auckland
Gourmet varietal
Duck & Orange
The Village Butchery, Waiheke Island, Auckland
Source: Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition
