The ‘Chorizon’ sausage, created by Nigel Holt – a customer of the Falkland Arms, in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire – beat more than 70 entries to take first place.
Judges were said to be impressed with Holt’s “flavoursome mix” of ingredients and “creative use” of Wadworth’s 4% ABV Horizon ale.
The sausage was used in a signature dish in Wadworth’s managed pubs during British Sausage Week, which took place at the start of November.
Entry criteria
Open to pub staff (excluding chefs) and their customers, entries came from across the Wadworth estate, with the top four entrants invited to the Devizes brewery for a cook-off.
Runners up were a venison sausage with onion, chocolate and red wine; a lamb sausage with garlic, coriander, tikka spices, mint and yogurt; and a pork Thai banger made up of pork, coconut cream, ginger, lemon grass, sweet basil, garlic and Thai green paste.
For winning, Holt received food hamper and free-meal vouchers.
He said: “I’m delighted to have come up with the winning sausage. I’m a real fan of spicy food and Horizon is my favourite Wadworth ale, so Chorizon seemed an obvious choice for me.”
Winning combination
Wadworth food development manager Scott Ferguson said the combination of the sausage meat, chorizo and Horizon ale worked really well.
He added: “The sausage competition is always popular with pubs and their customers and I’m sure this years’ winning recipe will be well received.”
The sausages will be produced by Devizes butcher Walter Rose & Sons, which supplies meat to all of Wadworth’s managed estate.
Butcher Jack Cook, who was part of the judging panel, believed the standard of entries this year was higher than ever.
He said: “This year has been the best so far, with each sausage bringing something new and exciting to the table. All were worthy winners and I’d be happy to pay money for any of them.”