Preparations for UK Sausage Week, which takes place between 30th October and 5th November are in full swing.
Judging for the UK Sausage Week competition was completed last week after an experienced judging team from Ladies in Pigs gathered at the test kitchens located at the Regional Food Academy, Harper Adams University, to put all product entries to a taste and quality test.
Judges were also looking for innovation and reported some really great ideas which were in the mix across all the regional categories. Chief Judge Keith Fisher, assisted by the Ladies in Pigs team, got through 400 plus entries and he commented that this year entries in general were of better quality than ever.
Organisers have also confirmed that a range of trade partners have now signed up to support UK Sausage Week and the national sausage competition linked to it. The latest company to become involved is Handtmann Ltd., well known for supplying quality sausage equipment and machinery to the UK meat industry. The company works with large manufacturers right through to small retail butchers.
Anthony Daniels of Handtmann commented: “This event is a natural fit for Handtmann as a market leading supplier of sausage machinery and we very much welcome the opportunity to be involved. We are also looking forward to the celebration lunch on 30th October. Sausages are such an important part of meat trade activity and promoting sausages like this is something we want to support and encourage.”
Trade partners who are already signed up and supporting UK Sausage Week are:
• Handtmann• Kalsec• Kerry• Marel• Foodmaker• Reiser UK• Bosse Interspice• Viscofan• British Meat Processors Association• National Federation of Meat & Food Traders• Worshipful Company of Butchers• Q Guild• Meat Management• Institute of Meat
Tickets for the UK Sausage Week celebration lunch at Plaisterers’ Hall London, taking place on 30th October, are now available and can be ordered online at www.uksausageweek.com.
The lunch, which will also reveal the competitions regional and national winners, including the Supreme UK Sausage Week Champion, is being hosted by the campaign’s celebrity sausage week ambassador, TV personality Eric Knowles of Antiques Roadshow fame and more recently the Bargain Hunt TV series. Eric said: “I am really looking forward to this special occasion and meeting up with some of the UK’s top sausage makers.”
Event organiser Emma Cash added: “Plaisterers’ Hall is a superb venue and I am sure we can look forward to an excellent event in one of the city’s most prestigious locations.
“We were really pleased with the number of entries received across all the competition categories. Winning sausages normally mean a big boost to business and the team are already really excited about revealing the competition winners together our celebrity ambassador, Eric Knowles – a true down to earth Lancastrian who loves a good sausage as much as we do!”
Tickets for the UK Sausage Week celebration lunch can be booked now at www.uksausageweek.com/awards-tickets. A table for ten people costs £950 plus VAT or individual tickets can be purchased at £95 plus VAT.
For further information about the celebration lunch contact Emma Cash on emma.c@yandellmedia.com or call 01908 613323. Companies interested in partnership opportunities should contact Michelle Ingerfield: michelle.i@yandellmedia.com
This story was originally published on a previous version of the Meat Management website and so there may be some missing images and formatting issues.
