Alfreton butchers picks up meaty selection of national awards

Leabrooks butchers Owen Taylor & Sons picked up two honours in the Smithfield Star Awards, at the Butchers’ Hall in London last week.

It received top accolades for its Pastrami and Steak & Stilton Pie products, in what is widely recognised as the meat trade’s most high profile and challenging evaluation.

The team was presented with their Diamond Awards by restaurateur and Michelin star chef Angela Hartnett OBE.

The firm’s Stilton Pie scooped the Hot Steak Pie category, achieving full marks, beating two other finalists to secure the top spot, whilst its Pastrami was described by judges to be of ‘superb quality and flavour with beautiful seasoning, great marbling and perfect peppering’.

The butcher also made the final shortlist and received three star status – the highest possible rating for five additional products: stuffed pheasant breast, pork best sausage, steak and ale pie, Stilton pork pie and Sirloin steak.

Owen Taylor & Sons were one of twelve artisan butchers from across the UK to be crowned top of their class.

The awards, organised by the Q Guild of Butchers, have run for more than 30 years, recognise and reward the UK’s finest craft butchery products, judging items including traditional pork sausage, best burgers, gluten-free product, best bacon, BBQ product and black pudding.

Products are evaluated using a 1, 2 and 3 star rating system, by a panel of independent industry judges, with all three star products in each category then pitched against each winner for the category champion Diamond Award.

Richard Taylor said: “These are the very best butchers in the UK so to receive an award amongst such prestigious company was a real honour.

"We source our meat from local farms, ensuring it is of the highest welfare and that care and attention is carried right through to creating the products and serving them in our shop or delivering them to our customers. I’d like to thank the team who are incredibly

dedicated.”

Gordon Wallace, Q Guild Manager, said: "We were delighted to present Owen Taylor & Sons with their award, they are a fantastic endorsement of their products and help raise standards across the board, driving product development in the craft butchery industry.”