Judging at the Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition
Last week I had the pleasure of judging at the Devro Great New Zealand Sausage Competition. I have judged at the competition for a number of years, and it is always good to return and sample some great sausages. Butchers and foodies make up the judging panels and there is serious conversation and discussion about the relative merits of each sausage. For a sausage geek like me, it’s a real pleasure.
This year I judged the traditional category, where there were over seventy entries. Dave, the butcher on our panel, judged the technical merit of the sausage. The other two judges marked each sausage on appearance and, of course, taste. Trudi, who created and runs the foodies website Fresh, and I were the final member of the panel. The sausages are judged blind, identified only by a number.
At the other end of the large table a panel of judges evaluated the continental section of the awards. When we sampled a really good sausage, we shared it across the two groups. Nothing like sharing the joy of a great new sausage discovery!
A boerewors form the other end of the judging table.
There were some great sausages sampled and I will await the announcement of the winners in mid October with great interest.
Kay
Are you going to enter your pear, walnut and blue cheese sausage next year?
Don Stevens
This competition is for commercially made sausages. I am an amateur sausage maker and do not sell sausages. However my pork, pear, walnut and blue cheese sausages are appreciated by those who eat them.