A recent event at the University of Chester’s NoWFood Centre saw round one of the 2024 edition of the famous Cheshire Sausage Competition complete. Hosted by Taste Cheshire, the yearly challenge sees the best butchers from around the county battle it out for two titles. These include “Cheshire’s Best Flavoured Sausage” and “Cheshire’s Best Plain Sausage”.
February 8 saw Chester’s university witness a fiercely competitive first round, with a panel of judges narrowing the field of challengers. Comprised of local experts, the panel of sausage aficionados selected three participants for each category to go forward into the next stage of the competition at the Taste Cheshire Food and Drink Festival. A major event in the county’s calendar, the festival is held every year at Chester Racecourse, the city’s Guinness World Record holding venue. The final round of the sausage competition is judged by public vote.
The expert panel at the university event included venerable sausage taster and Head judge Izzy Grey from We Love Good Times, Ian Dawson for the NoWFood Centre, home economist chef Emma Shawcross, Claire Hobson of The Chester Fields and Chrissy Cunningham of Taste Cheshire, among others.
Butchers advancing to the next round included the Hayrack Butchery, Muff’s of Bromborough and David Joinson Quality Meats for plains sausages and the Geoff Hughes Family Butcher, the Lambing Shed and the Hayrack Butchery for flavoured.
The Taste Cheshire Food and Drink Festival and Cheshire Sausage Competition will take place on Sunday, March 31 at Chester Racecourse.
