FOUR of SA's top butchers are hoping to snag wins with their gourmet bangers in the National Sausage King competition to be held in Adelaide this weekend.
After winning their way through regional and state rounds of the Australian Meat Industry Council event, they will be among 35 finalists from across the country competing in six categories.
It is the first time the competition has been held in Adelaide since 2009.
Judges will score raw and cooked sausages, grading them for flavour and texture as well as shrinkage, splitting and crinkling.
Australians spend $660 million on about 94,000 tonnes of sausages every year. Gourmet varieties such as those showcased in the competition – open to the nation's 3200 independent butchers – are increasing in popularity.
Local entrant Barossa Fine Foods has won many awards since it began participating in 1989.
Having scored two previous national titles, it is just one win away from the prestigious National Sausage King Hall of Fame, and has two chances this year.
Its Mississippi pork and beef sausage with hickory smoke flavour, a hint of capsicum, herbs and generous cheese is the SA finalist in the gourmet section and its Cambridge sausage made of fine ground pork with English rusk, pepper, thyme and sage is entered in the traditional pork section.
For the second consecutive year, Bruce's Meats owner Trevor Hill is a finalist in the poultry section.
After taking out third place last year, he is hoping his chunky style Italian fennel sausages will go at least one better in 2015.
Also battling it out for bragging rights are Tender Cuts, Naracoorte, and Hygienic Meats, Loxton.
