Clean Sweep For Crombies At Q Guild BBQ Championships

It was a clean sweep of the top awards for Crombies of Edinburgh in the 2007 Guild of Q Butchers National Barbecue Championships held last weekend (June 3) in Edinburgh.

The sixth annual championships, sponsored by The Scotch Butchers Club, were being held for the first time North of the Border. A panel of judges headed by television presenter and food author Clarissa Dickson-Wright assessed the products both in the raw state for presentation purposes and cooked on the barbecue.

Thirteen teams of Q butchers competed in the championships, each team presenting four products.

Crombies won four top awards -  the best sausage, the most innovative product, the team prize for the highest aggregate marks and the overall supreme.

The supreme award was won by their sausage winner – Whirligigs, a coil of pork, orange and country herb sausage.

Borders Lamb Mini Ribs was adjudged most innovative product – breast of lamb prepared cutlet style with rosemary and mint flavouring which, with Edinburgers and Sporran Steaks, helped win the overall team award.

Clarissa Dickson-Wright said: “Once again, Q butchers proved they can do wonderful things with meat. I was especially impressed with the number of entries that used cheaper cuts and yet produced superb texture, taste and flavour.”

Her fellow judges were Sue Lawrence, former BBC Masterchef and well-known food writer, Charles McHardy, retired Q butcher and “Top Shop” winner, Laurent Vernet, Head of Marketing, Quality Meat Scotland, representing The Scotch Butchers Club, and Stefan Wright, Executive Sous Chef at the Edinburgh Marriott Hotel, venue for the championships.

Main Results

Overall Supreme Product (sponsored by The Scotch Butchers Club with perpetual cup presented by The Worshipful Company of Butchers) –

Crombies of Edinburgh with Whirligigs Sausage

Most Innovative Product (sponsored by The Scotch Butchers Club with perpetual cup presented by Meat & Poultry News) –

Crombies of Edinburgh with Borders Lamb Mini Rib

Team Champions (sponsored by The Scotch Butchers Club) –

Crombies of Edinburgh

Best Beef Product (sponsored by The Scotch Butchers Club) -

Lishmans of Ilkley and Wilsons of Crossgates, Leeds, West Yorkshire with Flank Steak with Lemon Pepper Butter

Best Lamb Product (sponsored by The Scotch Butchers Club) –

Dennis of Bexley, Kent and Eastwoods of Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire with Stuffed Cutlet with Mint

Best Pork Product (sponsored by The Scotch Butchers Club) –

Patricks of Camelon, Falkirk with Goldfinger Pork

Best Sausage (sponsored by the The Scotch Butchers Club) -

Crombies of Edinburgh with Whirligigs Sausage

Best Burger (sponsored by Lucas Ingredients) –

H G Walter, Barons Court, London with Lamb Burger with Mango, Mint and Ginger

Best Poultry Product (sponsored by Verstegen) –

Allan Bennett, Codsall, Wolverhampton and Walter Smith (Birmingham) Ltd with Caesar’s Chicken

Best Themed Stand (sponsored by The Scotch Butchers Club) –

SCUK – Scottish Connection UK: Dennis of Bexley and Eastwoods of Berkhamsted

Best Region (sponsored by the Guild of Q Butchers) - Dennis of Bexley, Eastwoods of Berkhamsted, H G Walter and C Lidgate, Holland Park, London.