Butchers from across Yorkshire today brought their perfected pies and best bangers to Bradford to compete in this year’s Great Yorkshire Pork Pie, Sausage and Products Competition.

More than a dozen judges spent the day yesterday sampling the best of Yorkshire’s pork pies, sausages and other meat products at the Cedar Court Hotel before the top three entries of each category were announced.

The Bradford district laid claim to one category winner – Weegmanns Butchers, of Otley, – which came first in the black pudding section.

Howard Carver, a butcher at Weegmanns, reacted with delight.

He said: “I’m very pleased with it.

“We are quite a well-established pork butchers, We have been making black puddings for the last ten years.

“We have come second and third before, but I was thinking we had a chance of winning.

“I’m over the moon that we have won.” Mr Carver said black puddings in the butchers were regularly made by Phillip Brown.

Organisers, the Confederation of Yorkshire Butchers Councils, reported a flood of new entrants for this year’s contest, which is the biggest regional meat trades competition in the country.

The competition featured the flagship pork pie and sausage classes, supported by standalone classes for black puddings and beefburgers, along with a class for the best newcomer.

Bolster Moor Farm Shop, of Huddersfield, walked away with both the Supreme Champion Pie and the Supreme Champion Sausage.

Andrew Green, president of the Confederation of Yorkshire Butchers Councils, said: “I would consider this to be one the best product competitions in the country.

“It’s grown from a pork pie competition to a full product competition, but the standards are extremely high.”

Competition judges chairman Andrew Jones said the competition was always of a high standard.

He said: “Yorkshire has the best pie and sausage makers, as far as I’m concerned, in the country.

“This year the standard has been as high as usual.”