It’s official – the best Sausages in Britain hail from Portsmouth!
Buckwells of Southsea scoop top accolade at national craft butchery awards
Southsea butcher, Buckwells, has scooped a prestigious national award for its sausages at this year’s Smithfield Awards, announced at Butchers’ Hall in London last week.
One of twelve artisan butchers from across the UK to be crowned top of their class, the Southsea butcher won the Diamond award for Traditional Pork Sausage with its Old Portsmouth Herb Sausage in what is widely recognised as the meat trade’s most high profile and challenging product evaluation.
Organised by the Q Guild of Butchers, the awards which have run for more than 30 years, recognise and reward the UK’s finest craft butchery products including Traditional Pork Sausage, Best Burgers, Gluten-Free Product, Best Bacon, BBQ Product and Black Pudding.
Products are awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold award by a panel of independent industry judges, with all Gold products in each category then pitched against each for the category champion Diamond Award.
Scoring 67 points out of a possible 70 and described by judges as ‘a super, well-seasoned sausage’ Buckwells’ Old Portsmouth Herb Sausage is made using an old recipe combining the finest pork sausage with herbs and spices. The coveted Diamond Award was presented to Buckwells by the highly regarded British Chef Jeremy Lee. The Southsea butcher also made the final shortlist in the ‘Gourmet Burger’ category with its Philly Cheese Steak Burger which received Gold award status – the highest possible rating from the Guild.
Buckwells also won the ‘Masterclass in Meat Display’ category – awarded to the UK butcher whose shop features the finest presentation skills – for the second year in a row.
Tommy Bridle at Buckwells said: “We’re absolutely delighted and it’s really nice to be recognised for something you do on a daily basis. Our Old Portsmouth Herb Sausage is extremely popular with our customers and the key to our recipe, alongside combining top quality pork with good seasoning is using ice cold water!”
Jeremy Lee, British Chef and proprietor of the renowned Soho restaurant Quo Vadis said: “The awards, presented at after a splendid lunch in the beautiful surroundings of Butchers Hall, is a testament to the hard work done by butchers the length and breadth of the British Isles. Tis a noble calling requiring great skill and knowledge. A good butcher is as vital as a good market and a good greengrocer or cheesemonger. They inform the public and encourage good cooking at home, in pubs and restaurants. It is an honour to have been asked to judge alongside Sheila Dillon and Xanthe Clay.”
Gordon Wallace, Q Guild Manager said: “The standard of entries this year was as high as ever so being crowned best in class for their sausages, alongside an additional Gold award for their burgers and winning best meat display is a fantastic achievement for Buckwells. We were delighted to present them with their awards which not only endorses the quality of their products but helps to raise standards and drive innovation across the craft butchery industry.”
A family business since 1987, Buckwells of Southsea (Portsmouth) imbues a spirit of traditional quality with a commitment for excellence and innovation. This unique mix has helped make Buckwells one of the best butchers in England. Regularly recognised in national and regional competitions, Buckwells pride themselves on sourcing the best quality breeds with a wide selection of beef, poultry & game, pork, sausages and pies – focusing on outstanding taste, whilst being committed to health and animal welfare. For more info visit: https://www.instagram.com/buckwells_of_southsea/ or https://www.facebook.com/BuckwellsButchers/
