SOME of Hampshire’s finest meat products were on display at the Great Hampshire Sausage and Pie Competition.

Tastebuds were tested and sausages and pies came under scrutiny at the the popular competition.

The event attracts butchers from across Hampshire and was held at the Holiday Inn in Winchester.

Judges spent hours mulling over the meat and there were 38 butchers involved and a total of more than 200 entries.

The 13 categories included Young Sausage Maker, Speciality Pork Sausage, Home-cured Bacon, Meatballs and Faggots, Traditional Pork Pie, Hampshire Sausage, Lamb/beef Sausage, Hot-eating pies, Black Pudding, Hampshire Charcuterie, Ready Meals and Cold-eating Pies.

Some of the flavours included chilli and paprika sausage, a chocolate flavoured sausage, and a watercress and ale sausage.

Press officer from Hampshire Fare, Nancy Judge said: “It has been a success, we have had some new entries which is nice to see and previous winners have come back. There has been some really positive comments about the quality, and overall it’s been successful.”

Entries are judged by a panel of specialist judges from across the country. The judges examine the external and internal appearance and colour, texture and structure, taste and smell and ease of cutting. One winner from each category is announced along with a Supreme Champion, Hampshire Fare Award and New Forest Marque Award, sponsored by Eric Robinson Solicitors.

The competition is being sponsored by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), Dalziel, Lucas Ingredients and Hampshire-based companies pmdc design and Mozzo Coffee. The three pie-related categories were sponsored by South England Pastries.

One of the judges who focused on the pies was Richard Brown.

He said that the entries included a beef burrito pie, a chicken curry pie and many of the traditional favourites like steak and ale and lamb and mint.

Mr Brown said: “I was very impressed with the quality of entries, there has been a lot of hard work put in and it has been great fun to judge. It is nice to see some old favourites done really well and it is nice to see people being creative with the fillings.”

RESULTS

Supreme Champion: LJ Smith Butchers

Hampshire Fare Winner: Danestream Farmshop

New Forest Marque Winner: Tatchbury Manor

Category winners - Traditional Pork Sausage: LJ Smith (Eastleigh)

Speciality Pork Sausage: LJ Smith (Eastleigh) - Pork, bacon and tomato

Lamb & beef sausage: Owtons - Curried Lamb

Hampshire Sausage: Weyhill Farm Shop - The Honey and Game Sausage

Homecured Bacon: The Butchers Shop (Milford) - Hickory Smoked Back Bacon

Meatballs and faggots: The Hog Shack (Bishopstoke)

Traditional Pork Pies: Price Farm Foods (Fordingbridge)

Speciality Cold Eating Pie: My Mum and Dad’s Kitchen (Southsea) - Gluten Free Egg, Bacon and Chorizo

Speciality Hot Eating Pie: Tatchbury Manor Farm (New Forest) - Steak and Onion

Ready Meals: Mill Farm Organic (Bentley) - Lamb Tagine

Black Pudding: Tatchbury Manor Farm (New Forest)

Hampshire Charcuterie: Ambrose Sausages (Eastleigh)

Young Sausage Maker: Grover Butchers (Chandler’s Ford and Bishop’s Waltham) - English sage, red onion and garlic