Westmere Butchery in Auckland has taken out New Zealand’s top sausage award for the second year in a row. The Supreme Award winner of the 2019 Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition was announced at an awards dinner in Auckland.
The judges couldn’t get enough of Westmere Butchery’s Chicken, Leek and Bacon entry, which beat out over 500 other entries from over 90 producers around New Zealand, to claim the top spot.
David Rossiter, owner of Westmere Butchery, has had over 45 years in the industry and it is fair to say his store has become a butchery institution in Auckland. He said of his victory: “It’s just fantastic to win again for a second year. I can only thank my manager Glenn, he’s picked the winning sausage two years in a row. It’s brilliant that we’re making a great sausage that people enjoy. I’ve got the best team in the world and I’m so pleased they’re getting the recognition they deserve. I hate to say that I’m gobsmacked, but I’m bloody gobsmacked.”
The journey to Supreme status for the winning sausages has been a long and rigorous process. More than 90 producers from around New Zealand put their best snarlers forward culminating in over 500 sausages being tasted across 13 categories. Five days of category judging last month by a squad of butchers, foodies, chefs and industry heavyweights, whittled entries down to the top scoring sausages.
From here, gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded in each category with the 15 gold medallists then being re-judged against one another, with Westmere Butchery’s sausage coming out on top.
“The top sausage is an extraordinarily delicious, full-bodied savoury sausage that had all the judges fighting for more, but all were in total agreement that this was the winning banger”, says foodwriter and judge Annabelle White.
“Even after all the judging we asked for more to be cooked. Think perfectly flavoured – it’s all about the meat, perfectly textured with great use of seasoning that has an unforgettable luscious after taste. It’s made me banger obsessed and congrats to the creators”, says White.
The announcement of New Zealand’s top tasting banger comes just in time as Kiwis across the country look forward to next week’s long holiday weekend which also happens to be The Great New Zealand #SausageFest – a weekend to celebrate the sausage. Traditionally Labour weekend is a great time to clean up the barbeque in readiness for summer and now Kiwis can get their hands on some award-winning snarlers to set their Labour Weekend barbeques sizzling.
Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition 2019 results:
2019 Supreme Award
Westmere Butchery, Westmere, Auckland
Chicken, Leek and Bacon
2019 People’s Choice Award
Avon’s Butchery, Glen Innes, Auckland
Beef, Garden Herb and Garlic
2019 Devro NZ Wildcard Award*
Peter Timbs Meats, Christchurch
Wild Venison and Black Plum
A full list of all medallists is available on www.rmnz.co.nz\sausage-competition-winners-2019
