Local butchers bring home the bacon at 2026 Great New Zealand Sausage Competition
PAK’nSAVE Cameron Road butchery team, with senior butcher Jarred Dale (centre holding sausages) and butchery manager Udana Warnakulasouriya (centre right).
New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square butchers are serving up award-winning flavour, taking home medals for their handcrafted sausages at the 2026 Dunninghams Great New Zealand Sausage Competition.
From Turkish-inspired lamb kebabs to cheeseburger sausages and beef brisket creations, supermarket butchers across the motu have been recognised for their creativity, craftsmanship and passion for great sausages.
The competition celebrates excellence in sausage-making, with medals awarded across a range of categories. This year, New World, PAK’nSAVE and Four Square stores in the North Island collected an impressive haul of gold, silver and bronze medals, showcasing the skill of the people making fresh food for their local communities.
Among the standout results, New World Howick took home a gold medal in the Flavours of the World category for its Lamb Turkish Kebab sausage, while PAK’nSAVE Cameron Road in Tauranga claimed gold in the Gourmet Beef category for its Cheeseburger sausage.
New World Howick butcher Gerky Malinao with the store’s award-winning Lamb Turkish Kebab sausages.
Four Square Martinborough earned gold in the Gourmet Pork category for its Carbonara sausage, and Silver in the Continental Fresh category for their Bratwurst.
From left: Four Square Martinborough apprentice butcher Luke Christensen, butchery manager Trudy Tannant, and butchery apprentice Ben Matthews.
PAK’nSAVE Te Awamutu collected silver medals for their Beef Steak, Onion and Cheese sausage, and their Pure Beef sausage, alongside a bronze medal for their Lamb, Truffle and Parmesan sausage.
The results highlight the expertise of instore butchers, who combine traditional skills with inventive flavour combinations to create sausages that offer something for every taste.
From classic beef and pork favourites to globally inspired recipes, the medal-winning range reflects the creativity and care that goes into preparing fresh food for customers.
2026 medal highlights
- Gold: New World Howick – Lamb Turkish Kebab (Flavours of the World)
- Gold: PAK’nSAVE Cameron Road, Tauranga – Cheeseburger (Gourmet Beef)
- Gold: Four Square Martinborough – Carbonara (Gourmet Pork)
Our award-winning stores across the North Island
Gold: New World Howick in Auckland, Lamb Turkish Kebab (Flavours of the World)
Gold: PAK’nSAVE Cameron Road in Tauranga, Cheeseburger (Gourmet Beef)
Gold: Four Square Martinborough, Carbonara (Gourmet Pork)
Silver: PAK’nSAVE Te Awamutu, Pure Beef (Beef)
Silver: PAK’nSAVE Te Awamutu, Beef Steak, Onion and Cheese (Gourmet Beef)
Silver: Four Square Martinborough, Bratwurst (Continental Fresh)
Bronze: New World Remuera, Irish Honey (Gourmet Pork)
Bronze: New World Te Puke, Premium Beef (Beef)
Bronze: PAK’nSAVE Te Awamutu, Lamb Truffle and Parmesan (Gourmet Varietal)
Bronze: New World Broadway in Palmerston North, Beef Cheese Burger (Gourmet Beef)
Bronze: Four Square Edmund Road in Rotorua, Pure Beef Sausage (Beef)
Bronze: New World Newtown, Fresh Beef (Beef)
Together, the results are a celebration of the talented butchers bringing fresh ideas and quality craftsmanship to their local stores.
To see the full list of winners from the 2026 Dunninghams Great New Zealand Sausage Competition, visit Retail Meat New Zealand.