Robert King of Sausages Again
BY DI SNEDDON
There is a secret to making an award winning sausage and if anyone knows the key it is Singleton butcher Robert Constable.
“You have to have really good ingredients, a well-made mix and you have to put love into it,” Robert from Robert’s Meats said.
Competing at the NSW/ACT Sausage King Competition, Robert’s Meats was awarded first place in the continental section with his German Bratwurst.
Second place ribbons were won by his entries in the Traditional Australian Pork Sausage and the butcher’s popular Lamb Sweet Curry that was entered in the Australian Lamb/Open Class Sausage.
The San Choy Bau sausage, possibly Robert’s Meats most requested sausage among customers placed third in the Gourmet/Open Class.
Run by the Australian Meat Industry Council, the competition was judged on September 13 to 15 at Granville TAFE and Robert said it is a great opportunity for independent, local butchers to showcase their creativity and efforts.
A butcher for 20 years, Robert has called the store Robert’s Meats in Singleton Square home for the past ten.
There were 335 entries in this year’s competition and Robert said he is chuffed to be a winner again and encourages his apprentices to be hands-on when it comes to the competition.
He is proud to provide employment to five apprentices and says the employment pathways opened through schools and connections with beef processing company EC Throsby has promoted butchering careers.
“Three of the five young people have come to me directly through school, having worked one day a week here while still at school, it is a good because you get staff who are interested in cattle and the industry as a whole,” Robert said.
The German Bratwurst will now head to the national judging arena, a category he has had runner-up success a number of times.
“I always said when I win at nationals I will retire but something tells me it will be a long time before I retire,” Robert laughed.