SPECIAL WINNERS: Sarah-Jane Ballard and Andrew Trueman - and the prize-winning sausages - D&S

Tomato and basil: a sizzling success

from the Darlington & Stockton Times June 2005

A Thirsk butcher's shop has won an award for the best speciality sausage in the North-East.

Johnson's Butchers in the Market Place won the Northern Council of Butchers' speciality sausage competition with a new pork, tomato and basll sausage. The sausage saw off competition from 96 other entries to win the title.

Andrew Trueman, production manager at the shop, said: "The sausage is a new recipe and was launched the same week as the competition, so we were very pleased to win with it. It's already proving popular, so we've done quite well out of it."

The business, which is owned by Sarah-Jane Ballard, offers both traditional and specialist products, all made from locally sourced ingredients. It offers four different types of burgers and 12 varieties of sausage, including a popular gluten-free one for people who have a wheat intolerance.

In October the business won the Great Yorkshire Pie Competition with its traditional pork pie.

Mr Trueman said: "We already had the best pie in Yorkshire and now we have the best sausage in the North-East, so it's quite an achievement and we're all very pleased"