A few years' scrimping and saving to make a go of his business have taught Nick Gibbons a few of the finer details about sausages.
The Wanganui signwriter has been selected as a finalist for New Zealand's Next Top Sausage, the Hellers competition that encourages people to come up with ideas for a new sausage flavour.
Mr Gibbons, of Morrie Gibbons Signs, came up with the idea after brainstorming over a few glasses of red wine with his wife Amanda.
The pair were also motivated by the trip to Paris, which goes to the overall winner of the competition.
"It's funny because, when I bought the business, the first two years I lived on sausages because I had three mortgages to pay off," he said.