Husband and wife butchers from Brampton proved they were a cut above the competition, picking up top honours at a regional championship. Peter and Christine Baughen scooped two category awards out of the 10 available at the Eastern Regional Roadshow and t

Husband and wife butchers from Brampton proved they were a cut above the competition, picking up top honours at a regional championship.

Peter and Christine Baughen scooped two category awards out of the 10 available at the Eastern Regional Roadshow and the Product Evaluation Event for Butchers in Newmarket last week.

Peter, of Measures Butchers, Brampton, was awarded category champion with his traditional pork sausage, while his wife, who runs the Brampton Pie Company in Huntingdon's Chequers Court, achieved category champion with a steak and kidney pie.

The couple and their bangers and pies beat off 113 other products, entered by 24 butchers from across East Anglia. But in the last round of the pie competition, Christine's pies were three of the five finalists.

She said: "We are both over the moon. It is really difficult to win a sausage championship as there are always so many entries - the criteria, even to qualify, are so exacting. The product has to be literally perfect."

Appearance, size, colour, ease of cutting, texture, taste and smell were the all-important judging criteria.

The win for Christine and the Brampton Pie Company is even more gratifying, as another franchise shop opened in Worcester just two weeks ago.

She explained: "I started out making pies for my husband's butchers, but my pies proved so popular that I decided to open my own shop a mile away. I now have a franchise of five shops, which I am very proud of. I put my success down to using good quality ingredients and traditional methods to get that homemade taste - it's great that the judges approved."

Peter's regional success now qualifies him to enter the nation-wide sausage championship.

He said: "This is great news for the shop. I've been in the butchery profession for over 40 years - and at the same shop for the last 20, so the secret to my success is definitely experience.