Holland Park butcher. Lidgate Butchers who have been trading for 175 years, has scooped two prestigious national awards for its sausages and game at this year’s Smithfield Awards, announced at Butchers’ Hall in London.
One of ten artisan butchers from across the UK to be crowned top of their class, the Holland Park butcher was named Best in Class and won Diamond Awards for its Gloucester Old Spot Sausage and Rabbit Paupiette with Wild Mushroom in what is widely recognised as the meat trade’s most high profile and challenging product evaluation.
Organised by the Q Guild of Butchers, the awards which have run for more than 30 years, recognise and reward the UK’s finest craft butchery products including Traditional Pork Sausage, Best Burger, Home-Cured Bacon, BBQ Product and Black Pudding.
Products are awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold award by a panel of independent industry judges, with all Gold products in each category then pitched against each for the category champion Diamond Award.
Scoring a remarkable 68 points out of a possible 70, Lidgate Butchers Gloucester Old Spot Sausage was described by judges as ‘faultless’ with ‘a lovely balance of tender pork and herb mix’. Its Rabbit Paupiette with Wild Mushroom achieved a score of 66 out of 70 and was described as an ‘excellent product’.
The coveted Diamond Awards were presented to C. Lidgate by Prof John Gilliland OBE DSc, a renowned authority on sustainable agriculture and food security.
The Holland Park butcher also made the final shortlist in the Ready Meal category with its Thai Green Chicken Curry, the BBQ category for its Butterflied Shetland Lamb Leg with Winter Herbs and the Best Butchers Steak category with its Guy Douglas 35 Day Prime Rib - with all three receiving Gold award status – the highest possible rating from the Guild. C. Lidgate was also awarded silver status for its Red Devil Sausage.
Danny Lidgate from Lidgate Butchers said: “We’re always looking at trying to create new and innovative products and it means a lot for us to win two Best in Class awards. We’ve won Smithfield Awards before but getting one in the Game category means a lot to us, especially as this is a new product. Our manager Steven Owens came up with the game recipe. He’s been working with Team GB and got a lot of inspiration from them for this.”
Gordon Wallace, Q Guild Manager said: “The standard of entries this year was as high as ever, making Lidgate Butchers’ achievement even more impressive. Being crowned best in class in two categories along with securing additional Gold and Silver awards, is a fantastic accomplishment. We were delighted to present them with these awards, which not only recognises the exceptional quality of their products but also contributes to raising industry standards and driving innovation in the craft butchery sector.”
London’s leading butchers and charcutier since 1850 and with five generations experience, Lidgate Butchers provides exceptional, ethically sourced, organic and rare breed meat from the UK's finest farms and estates. Lidgates delivers nationally and offers free local delivery with a minimum spend of £20.
https://lidgates.com.