Organisers BPEX joined forces with ex-England and Lions rugby star and winner of Celebrity Masterchef 2011, Phil Vickery, to lead the seven-day sausage celebrations, driving high levels of consumer and media awareness.
Keither Fisher, BPEX butchery and product development manager, said: “The 2014 campaign was hugely impactful, generating a great deal of interest in sausages not only during the Week itself but also in the weeks leading up to it.
“With the help of sporting legend Phil Vickery, we were able to get the nation’s best varieties from retailers, butchers and farm shops noticed.”
More than 200 retailers and butchers entered nearly 500 sausages into the British Sausage Week competition. Sausages with impressive flavour combinations and new ingredients, included ‘Pork and elderflower sausage’ and ‘Tapas sausage’.
The campaign drew television coverage on shows such as This Morning, Weekend Kitchen, Lorraine and London Live. Radio stations covering the week included BBC Radio 2, TalkSport, XFM Manchester and the BBC’s Local Radio Evening programme by Mark Forrest, while articles appeared in national newspapers and magazines including the Daily Mail, Metro, Daily Express and Hello!
Fisher concluded: “British Sausage Week 2014 was a real triumph and it continues to be an important platform to promote the hundreds of quality pork and Red Tractor sausages available today. The whole industry – butchers, retailers, suppliers and the catering trade alike –is clearly passionate about delivering innovation, quality and flavour and can take credit for its success
Make a date for 2015! British Sausage Week 2015 is scheduled to run from 2-8 November.