Sausages from Wenlock Edge Farm, Longville, have been crowned the best in Shropshire after a meaty Sizzle Off competition on Tuesday.

Ten butchers took part in the Shropshire Sizzle Off of the West Midlands Tastiest Sausage Competition hosted by HEART of ENGLAND fine foods (HEFF), the regional food group for the West Midlands, in association with AGA.  It was held at the AGA Shop in Ketley, Telford.

After a tough judging process Wenlock Edge Farm won the Tastiest Breakfast Sausage category with its ‘Proper Sausage’ and the Tastiest Speciality Sausage title with its pork, bacon and leek sausage.  Wenlock Edge Farm also won the Breakfast category last year and went on to be placed as commended in the Grand Final.

Peter Themans of Wenlock Edge Farm said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have won.  Winning both categories is fantastic, especially when there are such a lot of good butchers around.”

Highly commended in the Breakfast category was Shepleys Family Butchers, Market Drayton and commended went to Maynards Farm Bacon, Weston-under-Redcastle.  Highly commended in the Speciality category was Ludlow Food Centre, Ludlow, with its Spanish hot spot sausage and commended went to Moor Farm Shop, Baschurch, with its Gloucester Old Spot with honey and mustard.

The sausages were tested by judges from the area including expert John Holden from Lucas Ingredients, who sponsor the event alongside British Sausage Week, Farmhouse Breakfast Week and AGA.

The winning sausages will now go through to the Grand Final on Thursday 28 January at the flagship AGA store at the Mailbox, Birmingham where they will go head-to-head in their categories with the winners of the other five county Sizzle Offs – Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Birmingham and Black Country.

There is also a competition to find the West Midlands Tastiest Breakfast Juice and Tastiest Apple Juice – Cox variety.  There is still time to enter this competition as the closing date is Thursday 21 January. Judging will take place alongside the other competitions on January 28.

For more information visit www.heff.co.uk or telephone the HEFF office on 01756 785185