About Judging

Sausages are judged over three days, in fresh and cooked form. Judges assess entries based on visual appeal, flavour, texture and composition and award Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. The top ranking Gold medal winner from each category is then eligible for the final day of judging, which determines the Supreme Winner, the best-in-show sausage.

Every entry will begin judging with 100 marks, with points deducted when standards are not met. Medals will be awarded on merit, with Retail Meat New Zealand reserving the right not to award medals where sausages don’t meet the grade.

Mystery shopping
We mystery shop the all the entrants to guarantee the sausage being judged is representative of what is being sold.

Meet Kerry Tyack, the Chief Judge
Kerry Tyack is a specialist food and beverage judge and is the Chief Judge of the Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition.

Kerry says, “The Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition is the ideal way to create exposure for sausage manufacturers and to draw attention to the wide array of products available to the consumer. At the same time it serves to recognise excellence and thereby contributes significantly to the continual raising of standards. The assessment procedure is open and robust, which should give confidence to entrants that the care and attention they put into preparing their products will be respected and recognised.

I can remember, as a student, I worked in a sausage factory in Hamilton during my semester break. Fair to say the impression of the humble snarler I formed at that time was not altogether positive.

Later during my travels through the USA, Britain and Europe I came across a much greater variety and quality of sausage and so developed a decidedly more favourable appreciation of what it takes to make a good one.

To this day finding a butcher that produces a decent sausage, and sharing my finds with family and friends (all who seem to share my mania for a tasty, well made sausage for breakfast or barbecue) remains a passion.

Over the past four years as Chief Judge of the Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition I have taken a greater interest in sausages than ever before.

I continue to be amazed at the variety and the quality of what is produced in this country and happily note we seem to be improving all the time.”