Greytown butcher Gavin Green. PHOTO/FILE
KAREN COLTMAN
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Heading into barbecue season, Greytown butcher Gavin Green has once again made it into the final of the Great New Zealand Sausage Competition.
Green got the call from the judges on Wednesday. He was told he had won a medal with an entry or two, but he wasn’t told whether it was gold, silver, or bronze. The finals are not until next month and judges are carrying out a few more checks on the sausages.
“Next [This] week, a mystery shopper is coming to buy some sausages we have entered and to check it all out,” Green said.
“The finals are by video link and we will then know exactly what we have won.”
The gold-winning sausage of each category goes into the final selection for the supreme award.
There are generally about nine categories of sausage and this year more than 600 sausage types had been entered.
Last year, Green won a silver medal for his Moroccan lamb and raisin sausage. He said this was a contender again, but he had entered a beef variation he was keen on too.
“The Pukka beef curry sausage is a madras curry and white pepper creation using our award-winning beef sausage as the base, I think this is a goodie,” Green said.
The experienced butcher altered his varieties from time to time but rotated what was on offer as he pleased.
Over the years, Greytown Butchery has won many medals for its sausages, including three golds in 2014. The butchery won two silver medals and a bronze last year. In 2018, they took out gold for their beef sausage.
The final is a virtual ceremony on October 27.