Jedburgh butcher wins sausage prize fair and square

Allan Learmonth, from Learmonth's Butchers in Jedburgh, with his award-winning flat sausage.

Jedburgh butcher Allan Learmonth has proved he can withstand a grilling to impress judges seeking out the country's best speciality sausages.

He claimed no fewer than five accolades and one regional title at Scottish Craft Butchers’ latest award handout.

The High Street butcher was named as south east Scotland’s sliced sausage champion title for the second year running, as well as picking up four gold awards and one silver one.

The gold ones were for his beef and Stilton, pork and chestnut, Chinese-style piri-piri beef and Bombay beef sausages, and the silver one was for his smokey pork banger.

His sausages, alongside 276 other entries, were judged by experts at an evaluation, and the results were announced at a Scottish Craft Butchers regional meeting held at the Carfraemill Hotel, near Lauder.

“It’s good to have won the flat sausage award twice in a row, and everything that we entered we got an award for, so that’s great news for us,” said Allan, a butcher for 34 years.

The shop, open for just over 13 years, employs six staff, including Allan.

“It’s a team effort here,” he added. “We all have a part to play.

“We use all local produce. “It’s local beef and all good- quality stuff we put into our sausages. You only get out of a product what you put in.”

The eventwas sponsored by McAusland Crawford and Dalesman Group and attracted entries from sausage-makers all over Scotland.

Paul Boyle, president of 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 repeat business.”