Robert Constable has worked with meat ever since he was a teenager completing his butcher apprenticeship in Merriwa, NSW.
He has come a long way since then, opening up his own butchers shop in Singleton in 2003 and establishing himself as one of the state’s most decorated masters of meat.
Each year, he enters the Sausage King competition and he’s had overwhelming success at both a state and a national level. In 2015, he placed third in the gourmet sausage section of the competition.
“I had a little tear in my eye,” he said.
“Butchering isn’t an easy trade. You put your heart and soul into it.”
Competitions such as the meat judging at The Royal, have revolutionised the meat industry and Australian butchers are now producing some of the world’s best sausages and small-goods. Robert has seen the change in the industry first-hand.
“People used to think if they were feeding their kids sausages, then they weren’t feeding them healthy,” he said.
“But butchers have become very good at letting customers know that sausages are healthy. Really, they are just meat, cereal and water in a sausage.”
As a veteran contender for the Sausage King crown, Robert is well-placed to judge the entries at The Royal. This year he will be tasting and scoring various categories of sausages, wet meats and small-goods. And he has a few pearls of wisdom for butchers competing this year.
“Make sure you have all the ingredients you need, as fresh as possible, and focus on presentation,” he said.
“And don’t overthink the recipe. You’re better off going with what you always do, than making a special batch for the competition.”
