What makes a great Aussie banger? The sausage kings aim to find out

Great Aussie sausage showdown descends on beef capital Rockhampton In short: Queensland's independent butchers are competing for the Sausage King and Best Burger titles in Rockhampton. Nearly 600 entries are judged over the three days of competition. What's next? Competition winners will progress to the national finals in Melbourne. Chocolate, pistachio, baked beans and maple are just some of the inventive ingredients that continue to amaze the taste buds of sausage judge Gary Thompson "There's nothing you can't put into a sausage, provided it's edible, and all the flavours have got to work," Mr Thompson said. The Brisbane-based sausage connoisseur has joined Queensland's best butchers who are experimenting with unconventional flavours for a shot at the title of the state's 'Sausage King'. Nearly 600 entries from across the state have travelled to the state's beef capital, Rockhampton in Central Queensland, this week for the Australian Meat Industry Council competition — the largest of its kind in the country. Independent butchers could enter six sausage categories and three burger categories, with industry and amateur judges scoring the products on workmanship, flavour and creativity. Mr Thompson said butchers were transforming sausages from a cheap, everyday product to gourmet food they could put their own twist on. "The butchers are actually getting their own signature in their own products, so they're a stand-out performer and something that other butchers don't sell," he said. "So, they can separate themselves that way." Fan-favourite snags The main categories in the annual competition are traditional Australian, beef, pork and lamb sausages, as well as the Best Butcher's Burger. This year, chicken, cherry and white chocolate, Wagyu, wasabi and soy, sticky BBQ pork belly and creaming soda, even camel and crocodile inspired sausages, were this some of the weird and wonderful flavour combinations dished up. Spicy sausages with jalapeno were a favourite with judge Vicky Aubsich. The Rockhampton local was one of the amateur judges, volunteering because of her love of food — and a sizzling snag. "I prefer a finer-textured sausage rather than a coarser sausage," she said. "Something spicy, throw it on the barbie, have it with a beer, nothing could be better." Greg Roberts, a fellow amateur judge, agreed. "I'm looking for the spice, a pleasant taste, a pleasant mouthfeel and then a really nice aftertaste so that you know it's not too strong or too powerful." Firsts for beef capital This year's sausage competition is the first to be held in Rockhampton, and comes 262 days before the city's — and the country's — largest meat-related event, Beef Week. The Australian Meat Industry Council is the peak industry body representing the Australian meat industry. The council's Nicole Newman said the shift to Rockhampton from the competition's previous home in Toowoomba was to encourage more remote butchers, whose products were otherwise spoiled by the long travel, to participate. "Logistically, it's really hard to get that many sausages around the state, so by having it in a more northern and rural location, it's meant more access to more product and more opportunity for some of the butchers that may not have featured previously," she said. Ms Newman said organisers invited central Queensland locals to judge entries alongside experienced butchers. She said the competition had also expanded to include evening events, so locals working during the day could participate. Billy Gibney, a previous entrant and chef at this year's event, said the competition encouraged butchers to develop their craft and build connections with their local communities. "We are sort of a dying breed, I'd say … but people are starting to go back to the small business and local butchers because we care about what we do; we have pride in what we do," he said. "The experience you get, not just in the quality meat you buy but that relationship you build with your butcher, is so important and your food will taste better." The Queensland competition winners will progress to the national finals in Melbourne, where the stakes are even higher.