Falkirk butcher scoops Diamond award in UK contest

The Smithfield Awards is staged annually by the Q Guild of Butchers to recognise the very best butchers’ products north and south of the border,

Thomas Johnston Quality Butchers was awarded diamond in the traditional pork sausages cateogry for their pork links - which are made to “a tried and trusted family recipe”.

The firm also won Gold for its Reduced Fat Burger, Gluten Free Black Pudding, Pepper Chicken Melts, Steak and Sausage Pie, Traditional Steak Pie, and Roast Lamb in Garden Mint Marinade.

And it gained silver honours for its Gluten Fee Haggis, Traditional Stovies and Iron Brew and Sweet Chilli Sausage.

Owner Thomas Johnston, delighted with the firm’s stunning success, said: “We are overwhelmed and very grateful to the Q Guild to be receiving the Diamond Award for our Pork sausage.

“We are very proud of what we do at our Falkirk shop and are really focusing on improving our products all the time.

“We want to appeal to a new generation of butcher customers so are looking at ways to do this including offering gluten free, low fat and healthy lean meat items.”

The awards were judged blind by an independent panel of international food and meat industry experts at City of Glasgow College.

Mark Turnbull, chairman of the Q Guild of Butchers, said: “The Smithfield Awards are always a celebration of butchers who are the top of their game, combining traditional skills and knowledge with innovation, great taste with immaculate sourcing.

“The 2018 award winners demonstrate this superbly.

“These butchers are custodians of a proud tradition of local artisan butchery and I’m delighted to celebrate their success.”