TWO butchers' shops in Bedale and Northallerton are celebrating after winning a regional sausage competition.

Family business JB Cockburn and Sons, in Bedale, won first and second prizes in the pork category of the Northallerton and District Sausage Competition, while Thompson's butchers of Northallerton won the beef class.

The annual event, organised by the Northallerton and District Butchers' Association, was held at the Station Hotel in Northallerton last month and attracted 26 entrants. It was judged by two members of the Ladies in Pigs society.

It is the fourth year in a row that JB Cockburn has taken home a top prize in the competition.

The shop, run by brothers Mark and Jonathan Cockburn, stocks 12 types of sausages and makes around 1,000lbs of sausage meat a week.

Jonathan Cockburn said: "We pride ourselves on selling good quality traditional sausages, but we also have a wide range of more exotic varieties for customers who fancy something a little bit different."

Thompson's of Northallerton has also claimed prizes in the competition several times in the past, and this year scooped first place with its traditional beef sausage.

Run by Ray Liddle, the shop offers the traditional meats as well as specialist products and enters the competition on a regular basis.

Manager Neil Hemingbrough said: "Our beef sausages are very popular, and we were very pleased that the judges agreed with our customers and enjoyed them."

Other winners in the competition were Johnson's of Thirsk, which won second place in the beef class, and Arthur Fawcett of Ingleby Greenhow, who won third place in both the pork and beef categories