INDEPENDENT retail butchers from five states shared in the glory during the 2016 National Finals of the Australian Meat Industry Council’s ever-popular Sausage Kings competition, which was judged and announced in Brisbane over the weekend.

Finalists from six Australian states competing in beef, lamb, pork, continental, gourmet and poultry divisions were drawn together for Saturday’s National final, after earning the right to represent their states in earlier regional and state-final competitions.

The event was crowned with a glittering awards dinner at the Rydges Southbank hotel on Saturday night.

Crowned national sausage king in the beef (traditional Australian) division this year was South Australia’s Standom Smallgoods, which operates an integrated multi-site retail, wholesale and smallgoods business in Adelaide. Accepting the award on behalf of Standom was Franz Knoll.

The family business was established in 1978.

“The success of Standom smallgoods and sausages is in the quality of the products,” the company’s website says. “Standom only use the freshest quality ingredients and selected fresh meats to ensure their products are of the highest standard.”

The company owns and operates five retail butcheries in Adelaide at Seaton, Central Market, Gepps Cross, Newton and St Clair. Aside from the range of 150 varieties of fresh and processed sausage and smallgoods it produces, Standom’s retail offer also includes Princess Royal Black Angus Beef, SA-grown Lamb and free range chicken.

The shops also stock a large range of continental grocery lines including gourmet cheeses.

The winner in the Gourmet/Open class this year was Gold Coast (Queensland) butcher, Andrew Loveday, Loveday Quality Meats, Burleigh Waters. Andrew came up with a Texan BBQ creation to secure the trophy.

Sausage Kings lamb division national champion this year was Jake Forbes from Kariong Quality Meats in Kariong, NSW. Jake produced a morish curry lamb with coriander and cream to attract the judges’ attention.

Continental division winner this year was Mark Presland, Malvern Continental Butchery, Malvern, Victoria. His offering for judges was a popular pork bratwurst, garlic and mustard seed creation.

Traditional Australian pork division honours this year went to Barwon Heads (Victoria) independent butcher, Brad Bennett, Benno’s Meating Place, while the poultry division award was presented to Western Australia’s Raff Barbero, Barbero Brothers Butchery, in the Perth suburb of Greenwood.

In competitions other than Sausage Kings decided on Saturday, Clare (South Australia) butcher Jason Mathie, Mathie’s Meat Shoppe won the national Best Butcher’s Burger crown with his “Bush Burger,”, from runner-up, Michael James, Carina North Quality Meats, Brisbane (Wagyu, sundrifed tomato and basil) and third placed Malvern Continental Butchers (peppered pork wrapped in fresh belly pork).

Named National Apprentice of the Year during the awards dinner was Ryan Doherty, Bruce’s Meats, South Australia.

Click here to access the full list of 2016 Sausage Kings winners and placegetters.

Photos will be added to this article later today, as they come to hand.