As the ‘barbecue season’ is just about to kick off, approximately 500 sausages have been cooked, tasted and judged by a panel of 24 industry experts, to find NZ’s supreme sausage.
Sponsored by Devro, Kerry Ingredients, Hally Labels and Alto Packaging, the Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition comprises of 12 categories, including beef, pork, poultry, precooked, gourmet and continental. Each sausage was judged on its visual appearance as well as its taste, aroma, texture and composition.
New World Rolleston's Pork & Tasmanian Apple Cider
New World Rolleston took out the People’s Choice Award and a gold medal for its Pork & Tasmanian Apple Cider sausage. “I came up with the idea for this sausage but making it was a real team effort,” said New World Rolleston butchery manager Neal Algar, who had been making sausages for the past ten years. “Together we tweaked, tasted and perfected the recipe, and it’s them who actually make the final product, which isn’t easy because it’s handcrafted.”
A number of supermarkets were also presented with medals, with butcheries from eight New World and Pak’nSave stores in Canterbury alone securing a quarter of the contest’s prizes.
Among the gold medallists were Pak’nSave Riccarton (Country Pork, Pork category), New World Stonefields (Fresh Chorizo, Continental Fresh category), New World Rangiora (Free Farmed Pork ‘n’ Fennel, Traditional Flavour category), New World Rolleston (Pork & Tasmanian Apple Cider, Gourmet Pork category).
Silver medallists: Pak’nSave Riccarton and Pak’nSave Moorhouse (Old English Beef and Traditional Beef, Beef category), Raeward Fresh Richmond (Boerewors, Continental Fresh category), Pak’nSave Riccarton (Bacon, Cheese & Tomato, Gourmet Beef category), New World Bishopdale (Creamy Blue Cheese & Beef, Gourmet Beef category), New World Stanmore (Lamb, Pumpkin, Feta & Chives, Gourmet Varietal category).
Bronze medallists: Countdown (Pork Flavoured, Flavoured category), Pak’nSave Rangiora (Premium Pork & Mustard, Gourmet Pork).
