Local Business Woman wins award!

 Local business woman Caroline Walker of Home Farm recently won a prestigious award at a Food Fair. As you all know, Caroline has been selling sausages at her Farm Shop for some time now, and has developed a very tasty range of sausages.  Her efforts have been rewarded with this accolade from her peers and we asked her for an account of her experience. this is her response:

 On the 19^th of March I went to the Annual Foodex, Meatex Show at NEC Birmingham.  Sunday 19^th was Independent’s Day specifically aimed at small retail, independent butcher’s.  For part of this show a sausage competition was held.  You could enter either pork or variety sausages. I entered three of my most popular and well-established lines; Plain pork, Cumberland and Old English.  I have never entered a sausage making competition before and had no idea what I was letting myself in for!  I thought, ‘Well, people like my sausages and say how wonderful they are.  Why not have a go’!  

We had to take a pound (454g + or - 28g!) of the raw sausages and a pound of the same sausages, cooked.  The cooked sausages had to weigh less than the raw.  They all had to be presented on a specific size, polystyrene, white tray. I made my sausages, as I do every week and then selected some to take.  I thought they would probably be marked on appearance as well as taste but beyond that I had no idea.  Finding the right size polystyrene tray proved a challenge in itself!!

 We got to the NEC on the Sunday morning with 15miutes to spare.  There was quite a queue of other butchers handing their sausages in and they all seemed very calm.  After we had handed our sausages in, we had a sausage making demonstration.  I then discovered exactly what they were looking for and how to weigh and present your sausages.  Oh well, it had been fun and an experience but I couldn’t see that I stood much of a chance.  I mean who in their right mind enters a Nation-wide competition at their first attempt!   We enjoyed looking round the rest of the exhibition and I thought no more about it.

 Two weeks later I was amazed when in the post a letter and three certificates arrived.  I had been awarded, two silver and a gold award!  I was delighted. The Cumberland sausages won the gold award.  They are certainly the most popular during the BBQ season because they have a little bit of sage in them.  They combine the wonderful flavour of the middle-white pork with a hint of herbs and are ideal for BBQs.

 We have just launched our new website www.homefarmofpytchley.co.uk   On the site you can read all about the farm and there is a monthly newsletter form the farm and recipe that you can download.  Otherwise do ring us on 01536 791840 or come and visit us at the shop!

Well done Caroline!