A FAMILY firm of butchers is celebrating more success.

H Coates and Son, which has shops in the Framwellgate Moor area of Durham, Coxhoe and Trimdon, County Dirham, picked up eight accolades in the British Pig Executive for Excellence awards.

The firm won golds for its herbed lamb sausage, family steak pie and family minty lamb pie, two silvers for its Lincolnshire sausage and its pork and leek sausage and three bronze honours for its traditional beef sausage, traditional pork sausage and Cumberland sausage.

H Coates and Son has won a string of regional, national and international accolades in industry competitions over the years.

The Coxhoe shop has twice been voted the best butchers in the North of England in the Meat Trades Journal Top Shop awards and the business was a member of the North-East team that landed the Guild of Q Butchers National Barbecue Championships in 2002 and last year.

Owner Harry Coates said: "While we have high quality products and excellent hygiene standards that are never compromised, we also have a loyal, committed and hard-working staff who will go that extra mile to help our customers."