Good Food Show success for first-time sausage makers

6:59pm Wednesday 19th November 2008

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FIRST-TIME sausage makers Stephen and Vicky Hinds were celebrating this week after taking first and second place at the BBC Good Food Show.

Judges were blown away by their pork with chilli and coriander and pork with Cheddar cheese and parsley concoctions, which took the top two prizes in the sausage competition.

The couple only started making bangers earlier this year – and had only set up their Flexmore Farm base in Bottrells Lane near Chalfont St Giles three years ago.

Mr Hinds said: “We couldn't believe it at first when we were told we had come first and second. We just thought 'wow' – it was mind-blowing.

“We started our farm shop in August. We'd made sausages for a few months before then but we started experimenting and coming up with different flavours, and the rest is history.”

After winning at the Good Food Show, both sausage types now go forward to the British Pig Association Pedigree Pork National Sausage Competition at the Royal Smithfield Christmas Show in December.

Top TV chef and sausage maker Peter Gott judged the contest and said the Hinds' efforts had an “exceptional balance of flavour and taste”.

Mr Hinds said: “Having seen him on TV and hearing he was the best, for him to make such nice comments was brilliant. It was great to get that from someone of his experience.”

The family moved to the village in 1990 but only turned their hand to farming three years ago after 35 acres of land next door to the property was offered to them.

They bought the land – after which the idea of farming came about.

“My eldest daughter said, 'I want to grow up on a farm',” said Mr Hinds. “We thought, 'We could do that' and a small idea just got bigger and bigger.”

Before that, Mr Hinds was a property maintenance manager for the family firm – jewellers F Hinds.

He said: “It's a dramatic change in direction. I prefer this. It's rewarding and you get so much from it. It's trying at times, but it's phenomenal.”

The newest addition to the farm is a herd of 30 water buffalo – the only ones being kept on a farm in the county.

Experiments are underway to try to produce mozzarella cheese, but buffalo milk is already on sale from the farm.

The family also keep Berkshire pigs, which roam free in woodland on their property. Their meat is considered by many to produce the tastiest pork of any pig breed.

Mr Hinds said: “We've had loads of comments from people saying 'my kids never eat sausages but they really like these'.”

And the secret to the perfect sausage?

“It's having good ingredients to start with. Get fresh pork and fresh herbs and use good quality things. The red wine ones aren't done with a £2 bottle of wine – it was a good bottle it came out of. You get out what you put into it.”