Searching for a Sherwood Sausage
Sausage lovers will flock to the new Food Hall at this year's Newark and Nottinghamshire County Show (12 – 13 May) in the search for a winning Sherwood Sausage. Instigated and organised by Julia Blant of Ladies in Pigs, the novel competition is open to local producers who can provide 10 sausages made with Nottinghamshire sourced pork and at least one other ingredient found in the county.
Entries will be judged at 3.30 p.m. on Sunday in the Cookery Theatre. Judges include Sara Blizzard, BBC's Midlands Today weather girl, Alan Bennett, renowned butcher from Wolverhampton, Adrian Johnston, chief executive of the Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society, and Julia Blant herself.
Julia said: "I wanted to devise a new sausage for Nottinghamshire and to create an added interest for the new Food Hall. Entry forms were sent out to farm shops, farm producers and butchers and there's been a good response."
Children are not forgotten in this extravaganza of local food as there will be a special sausage competition, also organized by Julia. Entry forms will be available from the NFU stand and the winners each day will receive £20 worth of sausages and a £10 book token.
The Food Hall, which will be situated in the George Stephenson Exhibition Hall, has been expanded to accommodate additional stands and the Cookery Theatre demonstrations, which will include Nottinghamshire-based Teresa Bovey, Ray Smith, who works alongside Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall at River Cottage and starred in the television series of the same name, Rachel Green, renowned for her love and use of local produce, and other demonstrations by the chef from the Café Bleu in Newark and Ladies in Pigs.
Around 40 stands will include favourites such as Newark CAMRA, The Chocolate Fondue Company and Oslinc (ostrich meat) as well as A W Curtis & Sons from Lincoln who will be instrumental in the popular Bacon Carcase competition, as they have been for over 25 years. The competition is one of the last remaining traditional carcase competitions held in the country.
Full details of all events at the 2007 Newark and Nottinghamshire County Show, including advance ticket prices, membership and disabled access, are available from the Showground. Call 0870 224 1035 or visit the website: www.newarkshowground.com.
