Fife butcher wins Scotland's best pork sausage award
The owner, Tom Courts, previously won the title in 2011 and 2013, as he claimed he doesn't think there's a sausage in the country that has secured as many titles as his.
Courts said his sausages are made with the 'very best' pork from Scotland, which is mixed with 'top quality' grains and spices along with a 'wee secret twist'.
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'I stay true to my dad's original recipe, which has proved a best seller for two generations,' Courts said.
'My dad said we should compete on quality – not price – and that's exactly why our pork sausage is a winner.
'It's made with the very best pork from Scotland mixed with top quality grains and spices and then made using artisan methods, perfected by our team. And there's a wee secret twist there too.'
The Fife butcher took a break from the industry between 1992 and 2003 but returned to continue offering his award-winning pork products.
Judges named Courts sausage East of Scotland Champion before selecting it from five regions to be named Scottish Champion.
Courts (below) said it was 'wonderful' to see his pork sausages, which he hand-made himself for the judges, being recognised for their quality.
(Image: Scottish Craft Butchers)
He said: 'I'm really chuffed; the whole team is absolutely delighted.
'We were up against some of the finest butchers in the country and although I know we have a great product, there's nothing like the thrill of hearing your name called out as being the best in the business.
'Our pork links are such a signature product for us at Tom Courts Quality Foods,' he added.
'They're a huge seller and bring us a lot of business, so it's just wonderful to see them secure another Scottish championship – what a treble!'
Courts and his team handcraft and sell around 300 kilos of pork links every week from their production unit and shop at Burntisland, outsourcing to customers throughout Britain.
Gordon King, executive manager with Scottish Craft Butchers, said Court's achievement of winning for a third time was 'outstanding'.
He said: 'The Scottish Pork Sausage Championship is one of the most coveted and fiercely contested competitions in the business.
'To take the title with the exact same product three times is outstanding.'
King added: 'The standard of entry this year was extremely high which reflects well on our local independent craft butchers who supply this household staple food as one of their key products on a daily basis, but Tom Courts produced something exceptional yet again and wowed the judges to take a third championship title for his pork links.'
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