Waipukurau New World butcher Mark Bean competing for the top sausage title in Tuatapere

Waipukurau New World butcher Mark Bean is entering the competition with his smoky beef maple sausage.

New World has launched a national search for the New World’s best butcher-made sausage, and it may just be found in the Waipukurau store.

Five finalist sausages have been selected and will be put to the ultimate test with the final judging set to take place on Thursday in Tuatapere, a Southland town long known for taking its sausages very seriously.

Representing Waipukurau New World is butcher of two decades, Mark Bean.

When Hawke’s Bay Today last spoke with Bean in 2025, he had just completed the Firefighters Sky Tower challenge in Auckland.

He said he was feeling “confident but not cocky” with the sausage entry and believed he could charm the judges, as catering to a small town community was his specialty.

The finalists have to showcase a diverse range of flavours and styles, crafted by New World in-store butchers from stores across the country.

Rather than celebrity chefs or industry experts, the decision will sit with Tuatapere locals who will decide which sausage wins.

“I’m from a small community, and Tuatapere is even smaller than Waipukurau ... I’m confident that I can connect with a smaller community quite happily.”

Bean said his smoky beef maple sausage entry combined beef brisket, smoky bacon and a touch of maple sweetness.

“It’s quite a fine balancing act of all the flavours together, so it’s not overly sweet and rather tasty.”

Bean said a good testament to a sausage was its flavour when eaten cold.

“There are a lot that taste totally different cold than they did hot, I think its a cracker.”

He said the sausage flavour was previously made with pork, and the beef version had been on offer and received good feedback in store.

“We got people that are coming back multiple times for it.”

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.