HE’S only been running his own butcher shop for two years and Nathan Alcock is already making mincemeat of the competition at the National Sausage King.
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His Shoalhaven Heads store, Mountainside Meats, won first place in the gourmet/open category at the national leg of the competition held in the Hunter Valley on the weekend, and also took home second place in the lamb/open class category.
Mr Alcock and Garry Leeson from Ocean Shores Quality Meats, who scooped up the poultry prize, were the only two NSW first-place winners in the Australian Meat Industry Council event.
There are six categories in the national finals, with finalists first competing at a State level.
“It’s our second year in business here,” Mr Alcock said.
“I entered last year and came away with first in NSW and third in NSW then went through to the finals and got a second in Australia.
“This year we managed two first places in NSW and a third before getting through to the finals.”
Mr Alcock has been a butcher since leaving school and decided just recently it was time to try running a business of his own.
He’s been making sausages right through his career to date and said he’s been lucky to work in shops that let him experiment.
“We’re very passionate about our sausages here and we have 15 varieties of them every day.”
But it was Mr Alcock’s beef and lamb with macadamia satay and fresh coriander that had judges salivating at the weekend event.
“The beef is local from Milton District Meats and the lamb is from Breakout River Meats, Cowra,” he said.
Judges at the National Sausage King look at visual appearance (cooked and uncooked) and palatability (aroma, texture and flavour)
As for the secret to the success: “I guess it’s the old story – we make sure we use the best meat and all fresh herbs and spices,” Mr Alcock said.
Jenna Cairney
Deputy editor of The Land.
Deputy editor of The Land.
