An Auckland butcher has been crowned the supreme winner in the 2023 Great New Zealand Sausage Competition, after snagging the top spot with its lamb delight entry.
Sam Nadason, owner of Sam’s Butchery in Silverdale thinks the secret to his winning entry is “taking the time to get the basics right, concentrating on perfecting the flavours and years of experience".
“My grandson was born last week too, and I think he’s brought me good luck!”
The best banger was announced at a special sausage mixer awards last night, where butchers from across the nation gathered to hear the result.
This year, the competition broke all previous records with an astounding 646 entries, representing the craftsmanship of 116 producers across the 14 sausage categories.
Included in the categories was the 2023 People's Choice Award, which went to Westmere Butchery with their wagyu beef and roasted bell pepper entry.
The line-up also had a mince category for burger patties and meatballs. These two categories turned out 12 medals for burger patties and three medals for meatballs.
According to a spokesperson for the event, the journey to "supreme status" was a "long and rigorous" process with the judging taking place in two stages.
"The first round of category judging was done across six days with 17 panels of judges. Each panel was made up of a technical judge and two aesthetic judges. Entries were judged on their technical composition, aroma, appearance, texture and most importantly – the taste.
"The second stage of judging brought the top-scoring Gold Elite Category winning products to a supreme judging day, where they were all rejudged to find New Zealand’s top sausage."
Well known food writer and competition judge, Kathy Paterson said there was quite a buzz around the judging table this year with some innovative flavour combinations, but it was a pure lamb sausage that took out the top spot.
"It can be quite tricky creating a single meat sausage, but this was an incredibly well-made sausage with a good balance of meat and fat," said Paterson. "The flavour of the lamb really shone through with just a hint of mint to add freshness - it was sensational."
Fellow judge and butcher, Brian Everton said from a technical point of view it was the perfect "grind" or texture that made it so good.
"Using a premium lamb product would have been key in creating this stand out sausage."
As summer approaches, Kiwis now know where they can get their hands on New Zealand's top snarler before dusting off their grill.
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