Take a butcher's at this! Local traders win prime awards

Codsall's Allan Bennett won double diamond honours when his Station Road shop's pork and black pudding sausage won best overall sausage, and the festive pie won best cold eating pie at the Q Guild Butchers Smithfield Awards.

He collected the gong with his eldest son, shop's manager Steven Bennett.

Mr Bennett senior said: "There's a young man, Paul Riley, that joined me many, many years ago as a YTS lad and he's worked for me all his life. I said we wanted something different for Christmas, so he developed this pie and everyone that tasted it said it's beautiful and wanted one straight away.

"The sausage came about because we're from the Black Country and black pudding makes a very good sausage. It's won many competitions since we made it."

They also picked up four gold awards for their traditional pork sausage, pork and tomato sausage, smoked rindless bacon, and picnic pie.

Walter Smith Foods' Market Street, Lichfield, branch took home gold with its Steak Burger with cracked black peppers and capers, free range pork sausage roll, and free range pork pie.

In total, 479 products from 54 Q Guild butchers entered the awards, and the guild's chairman, West Yorkshire butcher Brindon Addy, said: "Smithfield Awards are among the meat industry's most esteemed and cherished accolades, recognising and rewarding both product quality and innovation, at the same time reflecting the skills continually demonstrated by our members - Great British butchers one and all."