A DEESIDE butcher is celebrating after collecting another award for its extensive range of products.
H.M. Sheridan at Ballater has scooped the supreme sausage championship from the Echt, Skene and Midmar Agricultural Association for its traditional beef bangers.
The accolade is the latest for the business formerly run by the late royal butcher Mike Sheridan, but now owned by Barry Florence and John Sinclair who employ 10 staff.
They have already been recognised this year by the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders’ Associations at its meat trades fair, where they were overall reserve and north of Scotland champion for their haggis. Sheridan’s also won a gold for its cooked ox tongue and a silver for its Irn Bru bacon at the same event.
Mr Florence said: “The beef sausage is among the most popular we sell. It is a traditional beef sausage. The recipe has not changed since the business was established.
“It’s just one of a huge range of sausages we do. We’re up to about 40 different flavours and try to have 15-20 on the counter at any one time.”
The Sheridan sausage range is made from beef, pork, lamb, venison and chicken. A recent addition has been alcohol and the bangers now come with steak and Guinness, pork and Macbeth real ale, pork and pear cider and venison and Lochnagar malt.
Mr Florence said sales were holding up particularly well, with the relatively good weather ensuring demand for barbecues. He too said sales were good for its bacon cured with Irn Bru and sausages that are flavoured with Scotland’s other national drink.
Mr Florence added: “There is a novelty factor with those. They certainly have a good flavour.”
Reserve overall in the contest was Ewan Morrice of Stuartfield, near Mintlaw, for his beef sausages.
The pork sausage section was won by Ellon-based Aberdeenshire Larder.
Farmer and butcher Charlie Bruce, of Bogside, King Edward, near Banff, won the speciality section with his venison, pork and cranberry bangers.
