Raeward Fresh Richmond has won a gold medal in this year’s Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition. More than 90 butcheries from around New Zealand put their best snarlers forward, culminating in over 500 sausages being poked, sniffed and tasted across 13 categories.
“It’s huge for us. New Zealanders are pretty passionate about a good sausage, so to win a gold medal throughout New Zealand is a massive achievement for us,” says owner / operator Gareth Caldwell.
Results were announced at an awards dinner in Auckland with their ‘Brisket, Aged Cheddar and Jalapeno’ sausage winning gold in the Gourmet Beef category of the competition.
Five days of category judging last month by a squad of butchers, foodies, chefs and industry heavy-weights, whittled entries down to the top scoring sausages.
Gareth says that the secret of a gold medal sausage starts with quality ingredients. His team of butchers under Manager Pierre Marquet prize themselves on producing many quality bangers.
“Everything that is put into our sausages is of great quality. And there is a combination of flavours, aged cheddar with the jalapeño and the brisket. It’s not too spicy, but it’s got a bit of a zing to it, you will need to try it.”
“The top sausage is an extraordinarily delicious, full-bodied savoury sausage that had all the judges fighting for more, but all were in total agreement that this was the winning banger”, says foodwriter and judge Annabelle White.
“Even after all the judging we asked for more to be cooked. Think perfectly flavoured – it’s all about the meat, perfectly textured, with great use of seasoning that has an unforgettable luscious after taste. It’s made me banger obsessed and congrats to the creators”, she says.
Auckland’s Westmere Butchery took out the Supreme Award with their Chicken, Leek and Bacon entry claiming the top spot.