A sizzling performance

From the Echo, first published Thursday 2nd Oct 2003.

SAUSAGE-MAKERS from Bridport turned in a sizzling performance to bring home the bacon from a top Westcountry food festival.

R J Balson and Son, England's oldest family butchers, made mincemeat of the opposition, scooping four major awards at the prestigious South West of England Excellence in Meat Products competition at Woodbury Park in Devon.

Three of their gourmet sausage recipes won prizes, while their home dry cured bacon took the overall top award for best product and was named champion of the South West.

Stephanie Pinkett, head of the bacon department at the West Allington butchers, uses only the best locally farmed pork, cured in her own secret formula before being sliced.

The company's wild boar sausages won a gold award as did the ostrich and cranberry sausage - one for the true connoisseur. Their pork and mustard sausage also won a bronze award.

Boss Richard Balson said he was delighted with the success at the show, especially to win the award for best overall product.

"We may have been here since 1535 but the dry cure bacon is a relatively new innovation for us as we have only been doing it for a couple of years," he said.

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