AFTER many years as a state finalist in the Australian Meat Industry Council’s Sausage King Awards, butcher Trevor Hill will be hoping to snag an elusive national title this weekend in Fremantle, WA.
Bruce’s Meat is representing SA in the gourmet section with its popular steak and caramelised onion sausages available at its stores across Adelaide.
Mr Hill says the competition encourages technical excellence in sausage making among their butchers but also boosts sales.
“It is a great opportunity for the staff to interact with our customers and they like knowing they are buying the best of the best,” he said.
“We make about 100 kilograms a week (of them) but when we won the state award last year it jumped up to 150kg and we are hoping it happens again.”
The competition attracts huge interest from the nation's 3200 independent butchers and is widely regarded as the industry's premier annual event.
“Every year we are amazed at the interest we receive from butchers across Australia from country towns to capital cities,” AMIC chief executive Patrick Hutchinson said
“It’s an event that just gets bigger and shows that butchers still play an important role.”
The other SA Sausage King finalists are Feast! Fine Foods, Adelaide, (continental section), Collins Court Butcher, Mount Gambier, (lamb), Rollbusch Quality Meats, Waikerie, (chicken); and Barossa Fine Foods (traditional Australian beef).
Second-year apprentice Edward Selby-Fullgrabe from Bruce’s Meats' Fairview Park store is vying for the Apprentice of the Year award, a new category for 2019.
Butchery is in his blood with both his uncle and grandfather also butchers.