Sauce on a sausage? 'Wash your mouth out' says winning butcher

A beef, truffle and parmesan sausage three months in the making has earned Westmere Butchery in Auckland its fourth prize for the country's best sausage.

Butcher David Rossiter said the team put their heads together, embraced a bit of trial and error and finally landed on the winning combination.

“We make a wild boar and truffle and we made a beef and parmesan and we just thought they’re both nice sausages, what about trying them both together? We came up with a beef, truffle and parmesan and it turned out to be excellent,” Rossiter told RNZ’s Morning Report following his win.

He says it’s all about good quality ingredients, and most New Zealand butchers know that now.

“All the boys in the trade we realise sausages are a big part of the Kiwi way of life … there are a couple of iffy ones there, but the majority of sausages are really, really good now.”

Rosstier, who boasts over 45 years in the butchery business, says sausages are best cooked on the barbecue or pan fried. Don’t cook them too hot, he says, as the skins may split, and don’t be tempted to prick them cause you’ll lose a bit of flavour.

“The main thing is never ever cook them in the oven. That spoils the sausage for me.”

And adding tomato sauce to your sausage? “Wash your mouth out!” A piece of white bread or a roll is the best accompaniment.

The Great New Zealand Sausage Competition judge and boutique butcher Hannah Miller Childs described how well the winning sausage was made.

“The grind of the meat and fat was beautiful, the fat ratio was spot on, and all the ingredients were nicely incorporated.”

Fellow judge chef Sam Anderson said it was the balance in the sausage that stood out.

"The truffle was the first thing to hit, blending seamlessly with the parmesan, while the beef flavour still came through."

Westmere Butchery has a history of sausage success. The business won the title last year with its pork and leek sausage, in 2019 for a chicken, leek and bacon and in 2018 for a beef and mushroom creation.

The butchery has also previously bagged three people's choice awards: in 2023 for wagyu beef and roasted bell pepper, in 2022 for wagyu beef, and in 2014 their peri peri chicken was the most popular.

There were 814 entries in this year's Great New Zealand Sausage Competition. The winner was crowned at an event in Auckland on Tuesday night.

Judging took place in two stages - the first round was carried out across six days with 52 judges. The judging panel, consisting of butchers, food writers and chefs, assessed entries on technical composition, aroma, appearance, texture and taste.

In the second stage, the top-scoring category champions were re-judged to find the supreme winner.

To pick the people's choice prize, a lunchtime sausage sizzle served up the judges six highest-scoring sausages for an anonymous taste test. Pokeno Bacon claimed victory with its chicken con queso sausage.