Prendergast Butchers in Haverfordwest has taken the top prize for the best sausage in Wales, at the prestigious ‘Put Your Best Sausage Forward 2024’ competition.
Organised by Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, the award celebrates the artisan Welsh pork industry, which is defined by smaller scale and specialised farms and producers.
The award-winning family butchers is run by Chris and Rachel Wolsey, along with their two sons Tom and Mark.
The family have been farming in Pembrokeshire for almost 50 years, and took over the shop some seven years ago. In that time, the business has been transformed and consistently wins awards for the quality of its offering, including being named the best butcher in Wales at the UK-wide Butcher’s Shop of the Year Awards.
Announced at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair Show, not only was their Prendergast Gold sausage named the best banger in Wales, but their Merry Cherry entry also reigned supreme in the newly introduced Best Christmas Sausage category.
Speaking of his pride at winning both awards, Chris Wolsey said:
“Having made the shortlist for the two previous years and just missing out on the top prize, it’s fantastic to have finally taken the crown. To win the best Christmas sausage as well is just the icing on top.
“Everyone in the shop is over the moon. Both entries are a combination of the family doing a lot of trialling and tasting, and getting the sausages to the point where we feel they would be appealing to our customers. My preference is for a sausage with very high pork content, and which just has the bare minimum of seasoning, hand mixed and with a natural casing. When you have an amazing product, like locally reared pork in Wales, then you want that to be the star of the show and the main flavour.
“In my opinion, pork from Wales is superior. The flavour, husbandry and smaller scale farms sets us apart from the larger, more industrial method of farming. At Prendergast Butchers, we know exactly where all our meat comes from, it’s fully traceable and we work closely with our customers and farmers to get the product exactly as they want it.”
Philippa Gill, Brand Engagement Lead at Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales, commented:
“We are thrilled that Prendergast Butchers took not just one, but both awards at this year’s competition.
“The standards continue to be high, and highlight some of the quality, artisan products that are available locally to people in Wales.
“Our small-scale producers offer unique, hand-reared products, often available directly or from local shops like Prendergast Butchers. With fewer food miles, it’s often a more sustainable choice, in addition to helping keep money in the local economy. We would strongly encourage people to seek out their local pork producer and give them a try.”
