Butcher a big winner as he snags award

The Village Butcher owner Paul Greaney proudly stands with the cup after winning the supreme award.

The Village Butcher owner Paul Greaney is ecstatic to win a national sausage competition after spending a year creating his Village Pork sausage, a product which has become popular with his customers.

"When I found out I had won I was over the moon, I couldn't breathe I was so excited. It means a lot and shows I have pride in what I do."

The Village Butcher in Havelock North won the Supreme Award in the 2013 Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition.

Over 460 entries were submitted for the three days of judging in Auckland, where the experts looked at the aroma, texture and, the all important, taste of the sausages.

The judges decided The Village Butcher's Village Pork sausage stood out above all others during the grand final on Friday night at the Auckland Seafood School.

The other big winner on the night was New World Milford whose venison and blackcurrant sausage took the People's Choice Award title.

Now in its 20th year, the New Zealand Sausage Competition drew 461 entries in 10 different categories.

Once the sausages were entered, by their creating butchers, they were picked up by mystery shoppers and sent to Auckland.

The sausages were judged in raw and cooked form with The Village Butcher's snarler ticking the boxes for visual appeal, aroma, flavour, texture, shrinkage and composition.

The judges were a mixture of technical, industry experts, food writers and chefs and the competition was overseen by head judge and food writer Judge Kerry Tyack.

Each sausage was judged by at least two judges and an average score taken.

Medals were also awarded, with gold, silver and bronze presented.