Greerton butcher David Pinkerton believes he has struck gold in the nationwide competition to find New Zealand's supreme sausage.
Mr Pinkerton is an entrant in the 2010 Great New Zealand Sausage Competition, organised by Retail Meat New Zealand.
He won an award in last year's competition and this year he hoped toreplicate his success.
"Last year was such a shock, we couldn't believe it because it was the first time we had entered."
Mr Pinkerton's butchery was awarded a bronze medal for its black pudding sausage.
Mr Pinkerton said he would enter the same recipe in this year's competition, with "a few modifications".
Mr Pinkerton, from Greerton Quality Meats, has been in the industry for 13 years. He believed he had perfected the recipe for black pudding.
He wouldn't share his secret to success but said he only used quality ingredients.
"It's true what they say, you only get out what you put in so if you use rubbish ingredients, you'll get rubbish," he said.
Mr Pinkerton was the only Western Bay of Plenty butchery to get a placing in last year's supreme sausage awards.
His black pudding sausage won bronze in the Frankfurters and Rounds category.
The competition has been running for 16 years and is recognised as New Zealand's premier sausage judging event.
Entries are open until October 22. Then, mystery shoppers will scour the country to pick up the entries, to ensure the sausages can be bought by any one, any time.
Mr Pinkerton said this was a good technique, so butchers couldn't supply specific sausages for the competition.
"A lot of places make sausages especially but this way the judges are seeing the real deal."
Judging will take place in Auckland on November 17 and 18 . The grand final will be held on November 19.
Sausages are judged on visual appeal, flavour, texture and composition. The top-ranking gold recipient will be eligible for the final day of judging, which will determine the Supreme sausage winner.
