A BUTCHER has struck gold at the ‘food Oscars’, coming away with six gongs.

Barry Walker from the Hampshire Salami Company, based at Wolverton Park, was successful in winning two gold and four silver awards for his cured meats and salami in the Charcuterie class of this year’s Great Hampshire Sausage and Pie Competition.

The firm entered six products into the competition and scored gold for its Hampshire ‘Nduja, as well as its Italian-style cured pork collar ‘Capocollo.

The silver awards were for three salamis and a Lonza which is a cured pork loin.

An enthusiastic self-taught cook and butcher, Barry started meat curing in 2010 on the kitchen table, as a hobby.

Eventually, with a house full of hanging and curing salami, Barry set about commercialising his new passion, looking for suitable premises and gaining the requisite authorisations to cure meat to sell to the public.

Speaking of his win, he said: “We were only established in February 2018 and were too late to enter last year’s awards and watched with interest at the amazing array of products that butcher’s and producers in Hampshire were entering.

“So, this year we were determined to enter and give it our best shot. The outcome is fantastic, primarily as the judges are all highly respected in the butchery, meat processing and food industries. So, we are being judged by industry experts.”

The completion is organised by Hampshire Fare.