A Spalding butcher has won a prestigious sausage competition for the fifth time in 10 years.

George Adams, in the Crescent, won the Butcher's Pride contest held at the town's Cley Hall Hotel this morning, following up on its successes in 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017.

Its 1910 recipe won best Lincolnshire sausage and the overall competition, while Tulipland of Donington won the speciality category with its lamb, spiced mango, coconut and lime creation.

The competition was the brainchild of MP Sir John Hayes, who chaired the event for a 10th time.

Mr Hayes thanked the Boston College and Cley Hall teams, the entrants and the judges and said: "We hold this event to support small local businesses and the tradition of sausage making, which is such an important part of what we are as a locality.

"Our farming and food pedigree is what marks this area out as special so it's really good to be able to celebrate that in this way."

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Organised by Boston College, sausages are 'blind tested' by a group of six judges and marked for appearance and aroma, texture, clarity of flavour and balance of flavour.

The sausages were cooked on the premises by the Cley Hall team and the competition judged in two sittings, with entries for Best Lincolnshire Sausage and Best Speciality Sausage.

There were Gold Awards for both category winners and the Butcher's Pride Award, sponsored by Sir John, went to the butcher with the highest overall points score.

Highly commended in the Lincolnshire Sausage section was Grange Farm of Boston's gluten-free sausage and Bycrofts of Boston, whereas Tulipland's 'Full English', Shearer of Holbeach's pork and fennel and Bennett of Spalding's pork and chilli were highly commended in the speciality class.

Other companieswho entered were: Dawson's of Boston, Grasmere of Market Deeping, Plant and Bean of Boston, M&H of Wyberton and CJ Butchers of Boston.

Speciality sausages this year included smoked Rutland, pork and stilton, vegetarian, chilli, Browning, caramelised onion, chilli and cheese and sticky maple and smoked bacon.

Judges were: MP Sir John Hayes, Josh Rowbottom of Bulley Davey accountants, Sam Roberts of Worldwide Fruit, retired caterer Andrew Lewin, Oliver Sneath of Spalding Sessions House and Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian editor Jeremy Ransome.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2020: Lincolnshire Sausage: G Shearer & Son of Holbeach; Speciality Sausage: Grasmere Farm of Market Deeping; Butchers's Pride Award: Grasmere Farm of Market Deeping.

2019: Lincolnshire Sausage: CJ Butchers of Boston; Speciality Sausage: Bennetts of Spalding; Butcher’s Pride Award: CJ Butchers.

2018: Lincolnshire Sausage: 1= Trevor Sharpe of Gosberton and Bycrofts of Boston; Speciality Sausage: Bennetts; Butcher’s Pride Award: Bennetts.

2017: Lincolnshire Sausage: George Adams of Spalding; Speciality Sausage: Trevor Sharpe of Gosberton; Butcher’s Pride Award: George Adams of Spalding.

2016: Lincolnshire Sausage: George Adams of Spalding; Speciality Sausage: George Adams of Spalding; Butcher’s Pride Award: George Adams of Spalding.

2015: Lincolnshire Sausage: Bycroft’s of Boston; Speciality Sausage: Trevor Sharpe of Gosberton; Butcher’s Pride Award: Bycroft’s of Boston.

2014: Lincolnshire Sausage: George Adams of Spalding; Speciality Sausage: Trevor Sharpe of Gosberton; Butcher’s Pride Award: George Adams of Spalding.

2013: Lincolnshire Sausage: Trevor Sharpe of Gosberton; Speciality Sausage: George Adams of Spalding; Butcher’s Pride Award: Trevor Sharpe of Gosberton.

2012: Butcher’s Pride Award: George Adams of Spalding.