A TOP-notch Q Guild butcher has struck gold in the prestigious Smithfield Awards.

Lishman’s of Ilkley picked up gold awards for eight of its 12 entries in total –Yorkshire Sausage, Pork & Chive Sausage (gluten free), Smithfield Burger, Ham Hock Terrine, Chicken Liver Pate, Smoked Pork Salami, Home Cured Gammon Rasher, and Pork Pie.

The signature Yorkshire Sausage, already a multiple award winner, was created three years ago by Lishman’s at its Leeds Road shop and adopted after public tastings as the county’s ‘official’ banger.

Twice a national sausage-making champion and multiple Yorkshire champion, Lishman’s has since rolled out the recipe to fellow butchers and the Yorkshire Sausage has now become a firm favourite both near and far.

A total of 479 products from 54 Q butchers nationwide, were entered for the eight categories in this year’s Smithfield Awards, the annual national product evaluation competition. They were judged by independent panels of food and meat industry experts.

Awards were announced and presented at the Butchers Hall in Smithfield, London, ancestral home of the Q Guild, by Matthew Fort, food and drink editor at the Guardian for over a decade, author of several award-winning books on food, and expert judge on the popular TV series, The Great British Menu.

Mr Fort said: “I’ve admired butchers all my life. There’s something about the skill, watching butchers break up a carcass with their calm assurance, it’s like watching a magician at work. It’s like the finest theatre, the knife coming down, even sharpening the knife, the noise, and the crunch when the cleaver comes down with such precision. To someone like me, this is absolute magic.

“I’ve spent many hours watching butchers going about their business and every time there’s something to be learnt. I’ve never had a serious conversation with a butcher where I haven’t learned something.

“I think the future can be extremely positive for Q Guild butchers; the emphasis on quality, precision and wisdom – you can’t put too high a price on that.”

Q Guild national chairman Brindon Addy, said: “Smithfield Awards are among the meat industry’s most esteemed and cherished accolades, recognising and rewarding both product quality and innovation, at the same time reflecting the skills continually demonstrated by our members, Great British butchers one and all.”