A panel of three judges assessed the goods presented by Australian Meat Industry Council butchers at the TAFE Western March Street campus on Thursday. 

Over 50 sausage products produced by independent butchers from places such as Gilgandra, Narrabri, Parkes and Bathurst were tested in the six categories up for judging: traditional Australian, traditional Australian pork, poultry, Australian lamb/open class, continental, and gourmet/open class by a panel of three judges. 

Michael Nunn has been making the sausages at Woodward Street Quality Meats. 

His boss and owner of the butchery, Jay Parkes, said the secret to success was listening to what customers want and using decent meat. 

“We use good quality, locally-sourced beef trim,” Mr Parkes said. 

Ten types of burgers made from beef, pork, lamb and poultry were also tasted and tested in the Best Butcher’s Burger competition. 

The sausages and burgers were scrutinised in the uncooked stage on internal and external appearance, texture, bloom, shape and consistency. They were then carefully cooked on a barbecue and judged on cooked appearance, distribution of texture and ingredients, and flavour.

Judge and Australian Meat Industry Superannuation Trust national manager Steve Fleming said the judges were impressed with the products on offer. 

“In this area there’s prime beef and prime lamb and the competition is pretty fierce,” Mr Fleming said.

All agreed that quality was consistent with other years. 

Other first place winners, butchers from Bathurst, Gulgong, Parkes and Narromine, all proceed to the state final in Port Macquarie in September. 

ashlea.pritchard@fairfaxmedia.com.au