Auckland’s Westmere Butchery has once again proven it’s a cut above the rest, taking out the Supreme Award at the Dunninghams Great New Zealand Sausage Competition with its Beef, Parmesan and Truffle sausage.
Beating more than 800 entries from across the country, the win marks Westmere’s fourth Supreme title in the past decade, reaffirming its status as one of New Zealand’s most celebrated sausage makers.
Now in its 28th year, the competition drew 814 entries across 13 categories, showcasing the innovation, skill and passion of Kiwi butchers nationwide.
Ideas To The Table
Owner Dave Rossiter said the team was “over the moon” to once again take the top honour. “These awards are what we strive for – they show that we, as butchers, are doing what we do best,” said Rossiter. “Every year the competition gets tougher, and hats off to every butcher in New Zealand for keeping us on our toes. The secret to a winning sausage is teamwork – we all bring ideas to the table, cook it up, tweak it, and take it from there.”
Glenn McKendry & Dave Rossiter of Westmere Butchery.
Judges praised the Westmere sausage for its flawless craftsmanship and balance of flavours. Technical judge Hannah Miller Childs said the winning entry “delivered on every level.”
“The grind was beautiful, the fat ratio spot on, and all the ingredients were nicely incorporated. It was a well-made sausage, filled with care,” she said.
Aesthetic judge Sam Anderson from Service Foods agreed, noting its exceptional flavour profile. “The truffle hit first, blending seamlessly with the parmesan, while the beef still came through. Getting that balance right is tricky – but this sausage nailed it.”
Pokeno Bacon
The competition also invited the public to have their say in a People’s Choice sausage sizzle, where the top six finalists were tasted anonymously. Pokeno Bacon took out the title with their Chicken Con Queso sausage.
“We’re blown away,” said Ben Clotworthy of Pokeno Bacon. “It means a lot that the public recognised the quality of our product. We spent a long time perfecting the recipe – and customer feedback played a huge part.”
In addition, Prime Meats in Auckland received the Dunninghams’ Choice Award for their Tobiko Pork and Prawn sausage, which topped the entries using a Dunninghams spice mix.
Category champions, along with gold, silver and bronze medalists, were also announced across all sausage styles – from traditional to experimental.
A full geographical list of the medal-winning sausages is available here.
