BUCKHAVEN LINKS ARE FULL OF FIZZ

Stuarts of Buckhaven make the Best Speciality Sausages in the country. In May their already famous Chilli and Iron Brew Sausage received the top award in the Speciality Sausage Category at the 2010 Scottish Craft Butchers Awards.

Derek McMahon of Stuarts of Buckhaven with his award winning sausages.

Stuarts who have butchers shops in Buckhaven, Leven and Lundin Links came up with the perfect combination against equally hot competition in an evaluation held in Fife last month. The trophy and winners certificate were presented to Derek McMahon on Tuesday 18th May when Scottish Craft Butchers held their East of Scotland Regional meeting at McDiarmid Park, Perth.

A team of judges from the meat trade, catering and consumer sectors evaluated more than 100 speciality sausages at the evaluation event held last month at the home of Dunfermline Athletic Football Club.

70 Speciality Burgers and 45 Barbecue products were also examined by the judges.

Making the presentation Stuart Christie, President of the event’s sponsor said:-

"These Craft Butcher Awards once again showcase the high levels of skill and innovation prevalent among the independent butcher’s sector. I am certain that this event leads to consumers being tempted with exciting new products whilst shopping at the local butcher.

“Scottish Craft Butchers are great innovators and react quickly to customers demands for tasty convenient new products. Chilli seems to be the latest fashion, several attempts were made using this ingredient in both the speciality burger and speciality sausage categories but Derek McMahon’s introduction of Iron Brew blew away the competition.” So much so Derek also won Gold for his Steak & Haggis Burger and Steak & Spring Onion Burger.

Alan Stuart, Managing Director of Stuarts of Buckhaven was really pleased to have won the Diamond Award for this Iron Brew with Sweet Chilli Sausage:-

“I am chuffed to bits after entering this sausage in competition before without success. It’s a good eating sausage that was conceived to celebrate the company’s 150th anniversary in 2007.

“If you think that your product is good you have to believe in it. That belief has been enforced by the way our customers have made it one of our top selling sausages.

“This is definitely a case of if at first you don’t succeed try, try again. To me it should be the national sausage of Scotland. I can’t believe that other butchers aren’t making it

“This sausage links up to one of Scotland’s icon brand and I’d like to think that my wholesale customers will embrace it as wholeheartedly as our retail customers have done over the last couple of years.

“Next I will be asking my Butchery Manager Derek to come up with a Tunnocks Caramel Wafer Sausage.”

• SPECIALITY BURGER AND FULL RESULTS FROM NORTH AND EAST OF SCOTLAND