A competition has been launched to create a new flavour of sausage to help mark a national celebration of one of the nation’s best-loved food items.

One of the North East’s longest-serving butchers – Alderson’s, of Cockerton, Darlington – is launching the competition to mark UK Sausage Week between October 28 and November 2.

“We want this to be a celebration of the great British sausage, so we’re telling people to let their imaginations run wild,” said Nigel Alderson, the third generation of his family to run the Woodland Road business.

His grandfather, Wilf, launched W. Alderson & Son in 1934, before handing it over to his son, Derek, who in turn passed it onto Nigel.

“We’ve already had lots of entries, including some that are wonderfully bonkers, and that’s what we want – something different,” added Nigel.

Alderson’s, based in Cockerton, is staging its own Sausage Festival, starting early on October 25, with a range of activities and offers.

Nigel Alderson with employees Charlie Nicholson and Lily Stubley. Picture: Chris BarronNigel Alderson with employees Charlie Nicholson and Lily Stubley. Picture: Chris Barron (Image: Chris Barron) The winning flavour will be produced by Nigel’s team before going on sale and being sampled by the Mayor and Mayoress of Darlington at the start of UK Sausage Week.

Mayor, Councillor Bob Donoghue, said: “I love sausages, so I’m looking forward to what the people of Darlington come up with and tasting the winner.”

Alderson’s are also inviting local businesses to nominate themselves to receive free sausage sandwiches, with 12 being delivered around the town on each day of UK Sausage Week. Nominations so far include Darlington Memorial Hospital.

  • To suggest a new flavour or nominate a business for free sausage sandwiches, email nigel@aldersonbutchers.co.uk

Alderson’s will also have a special offer – buy 2lbs of any flavoured sausage and get 1lb of traditional pork sausage free, or buy 5lbs of any flavour and get 3lbs free. There’ll also be plenty of sausage ‘tasters’ to try on the counter.

Over a year, the Cockerton business makes 90,000 thick sausages and 112,000 thin sausages, plus 10,000 chipolatas and 6,000 pigs in blankets at Christmas. It has 30 different sausage flavours to choose from, with the most popular being traditional pork, and the most recent a ‘hot honey sausage’.

​“We have 14 staff who do a fantastic job all year round, but they really rise to the occasion during UK Sausage Week, Last year, we produced 2,000lbs of sausages during the festival and we’ll top that this year.

"Sausages are an important part of our business, and we focus on making them as healthy and nutritious as possible.

"The highest fat content in any of our sausages is seven per cent, and we use a supplier with a pig farm in Hamsterley Forest to keep it local.

“The British people love sausages because they’re great value and really versatile, so we want to play our part in celebrating them.”