TWO Wee County butchers were celebrating last week after picking up wins at the Scottish Craft Butcher Awards ceremony in Perth.

Alloa's James Aitken butchers and Tullibody's J Hutchison and Sons Family Butchers submitted their sausages for grilling by the experts at an evaluation held at Our Kitchen to Yours at Newhouse last month.

The results were announced at the Craft Butchers regional meeting held at the Lovat Hotel, Perth, on Thursday, October 6.

James Aitken were crowned East of Scotland champions for their squared slice, and also picked up a gold award for their onion slice.

Brian Cockburn, shop manager at the bustling High Street butchers, said the staff were delighted to receive the awards for their products.

He told the Advertiser: "We put the entry in and sent off a sample. They then came out and picked some up themselves, as a bit of a mystery shopper, just to make sure we were selling the same sausage we sent off."

When asked if he was proud of the square slice, he said: "Oh, yes. It's been the same recipe in here for years – we haven't changed it.

"It's a really good-selling sausage; we sell loads of it so there's no need to change it.

"But it is the first award we've had for it, so we are delighted."

Popular Tullibody butcher Jim Hutchison picked up an award for an innovative jalapeño and ghost chilli slice – though he admitted the idea came from the two upstarts in the shop.

Jim said: "We're obviously chuffed with the award; it's always a bonus to get some recognition for what we do here.

"The jalapeño and ghost chilli slice was something my son Craig and the young apprentice Ross Grenfell cooked up in the back.

"It was all their idea and after a few attempts, they have got the recipe spot on.

"We're just a small business with a good team and we couldn't have done it without the counter staff dealing with the customers and helping to promote the new products we have."

He added: "We're always looking to try new things and at the minute we have eight different types of sausage on sale.

"This week we have launched a new pork link with black pudding and next we will be putting out a pork link with haggis.

"And in the run up to Christmas we will have a pork and cranberry as well as a pork, sage and onion.

"It's important that we give our customers something different to try when they come back."

The awards ceremony, organised by the Scottish Craft Butchers and sponsored by Lucas Ingredients, attracted an entry of over 200 entries from sausage makers all over Scotland from Orkney to Solway.

Judges were said to have been drawn from the meat industry experts and "enthusiastic sausage aficionados".

Beaton Lindsay, president of the Scottish Craft Butchers, said: “All butchers think we make the best products but it is not until you pitch them against others that you find out just how good they really are.

"To win awards in this evaluation is a great honour for the recipients because the standards are high and by highlighting the best available this serves as an important signpost for sausage lovers on the quest for the best.

"I know how important sausages are to customers and I hope that all recipients of awards attract new and old business.”