Awards set to recognise butchers

BPEX Regional Roadshows

Butchers and local pork producers in Rochdale are being urged to showcase their outstanding products and gain some of the highest recognition in the industry, at the Regional Pork Product Awards.

Stopping at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton on Wednesday 25 September with some of the industry’s most respected judges in tow, the hotly contested product evaluation event will be looking for outstanding sausages, mouth-watering pies and a range of other quality pork and pork meat products.

There are gold, silver and bronze awards up for grabs, plus the chance of earning the prized crown of Overall Champion for the North West of England.

Any independent retail butcher, farm shop or local pork producer making their own pork products in the North West of England is eligible to enter one or all of the 12 product categories. These are:

1. Traditional Pork Sausage
2. Speciality Pork Sausage
3. Traditional Pork Pies
4. Speciality Hot Eating Pork Pies or Pasties
5. Speciality Cold Eating Pork Pies or Pasties
6. Home Cured Bacon and Gammon
7. Young Sausage Maker
8. Speciality Pork Products
9. Black Pudding
10. Pork Offal Products
11. Pork Ready Meals
12. Pork Burgers

Each product is independently judged and given an award based on its score. At the end of the evening, the highest scoring gold award winner in each category is crowned ‘category champion’, before one is chosen as Overall Champion for the region.

The event is a great platform for recognition, as last years’ Champions Martin Teese and David Paintin from Ye Old Sausage Shop can testify.

They lifted the accolade after topping the Speciality Pork Sausage category. David said: “It was a brilliant result and certainly a boost for business.”

Pork butchery and product development manager for BPEX, Keith Fisher, said: “We’re delighted to kick off our 10th anniversary tour in the North West, which promises to be a great event. Our judges are poised to get their teeth into a selection of exceptional pork products, which we’ve no doubt will set the bar high for the rest of the 2013-2014 season.

“Plus as it’s our tenth anniversary we are offering every butcher the chance to enter one product free of charge, so if you’ve never entered before why not give it a go - you have nothing to lose.”

Entry forms and guidelines can be downloaded from http://porkforbutchers.bpex.org.uk or entry and payment can now be done online at www.bpexentries.co.uk/roadshows. Butchers are welcome to attend even if they’re not entering products; it’s free to attend and they get the chance to meet fellow producers and industry representatives, and pick up new ideas.