CHRISTMAS has come early for an Ilminster's butchers after it picked up five awards in just two weeks.

Family butcher Bonners won three awards including a gold award at the Q Guild Smithfield Awards and a further two awards the following week.

The five awards are:

  •  The Gold award for its home-made scotch eggs coated in cornflakes plus two silver awards for its steak and Dorset blue vinney pies and for its traditional pork sausages at the prestigious Q Guild Smithfield Awards in London.
  • Runners-up in the Meat Trades Journal shop of the year competition for the south of England, held at the Rosewood Hotel in Holborn, London, last Friday. 
  • Winner of the South-West Sausage competition held last week by the National Federation of Meat Traders.

The winning sausages were made from outdoor reared pork and caramelised red onion, and beat more than 70 entrants from all parts of the Westcountry.

Owner Clinton Bonner said: “We have had a great couple weeks and it has been down to the hard work of all my staff who have helped make these successes possible.

“We were amazed to have been regional finalists in the Butchers Shop of the Year competition – we were down to the last three in the south of England and were the only rural butchers to get through to the final. That is a great achievement.

“I am also encouraged that our pies did so well as it is a new area for us as we have only been making our own for a few months.

Sausages are a great seller in our shop and the latest award goes to prove we are doing something right!”

Ingredients were also the secret for Bonners’ gold award-winning scotch eggs.

Mr Bonner added: “The judges commented on the great flavours and also the novel idea of using crushed cornflakes for the coating of the scotch eggs.”

Bonners has won many prizes over the years and Mr Bonner said it was a privilege to win at the Q Guild Smithfield Awards, held annually and contested by the UK’s top butchers.

The Q Guild represents the highest quality butchers and independent meat retailers in the UK, with members from Inverness to Cornwall.

Q Guild chairman Philip Cranston said: “These products represent some of the best in the country, which proves that independent butchers have something unique to offer UK consumers and should be proud of the great work they do.”