AN Alton butchers shop took two podium places in the recent Hampshire and Isle of Wight Awards for Excellence in Meat Products, winning gold and bronze in the speciality sausage category.

The awards are organised by the Meat & Livestock Commission, with the judging and prizegiving ceremony held at The Hampshire County Cricket Ground in Southampton.

The competition featured 136 entries from all over Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

Joyce & Lucas butchers of Alton High Street entered two varieties of sausage into the contest. Their ÒmedievalÓ sausage which has been a firm favourite with customers since it was first introduced in 2000, and a pork, prune and armagnac variety which was developed especially for the contest.

Entries were judged on four criteria; external appearance and colour, texture and structure, internal appearance and colour and taste and smell.

The medieval variety won the bronze award, and top honours were given to the pork, prune and armagnac variety, winning the gold.

Proprietor Chris Glanville, said: ÒWe thought we might do quite well, and we were joking with the chap next to us that we were going to beat him.

But we were really surprised when they called our name out.

We didnÕt expect it at all.Ó