SAUSAGES and faggots created at a South Lakeland butchery business have been crowned champions in a prestigious regional competition.

Products from Dales Traditional Butchers Ltd, at Kirkby Lonsdale, sizzled at this year's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board Pork Awards held in Newcastle.

The business won the speciality sausage award for its pork and caramel creation while its faggots took top prize in the pork offal products category.

And for good measure one of the shop's employees, 22-year-old Ira Collier was named young sausage maker of the year after his pork, honey and mustard banger impressed the judges.

"It felt great to win, to be fair," said Ira. "It was a long time coming because I've always had that little bit of disappointment of just missing out in the past and I'm absolutely chuffed to bits."

Ira has been working for Dales Traditional Butchers Ltd for the past five years and although has taken home a gold award for his sausages in the past, this is the first time that he has been named champion.

"I made my own recipe," he said. "It's trial and error really. Because I have been in the trade for eight years eventually you start to get a rough estimate of how much you need of things.

"I never thought I would get into butchery but I have always been interested in hands on work rather than being sat behind a desk."

Owner Mark Duckworth said that he was 'chuffed' that the business had done so well and revealed the secret to the speciality sausage's success.

"The speciality sausage is pork and Cartmel sticky toffee pudding - we make it with the sauce," he said. "We made them as a bit of a gimmick but now we cannot get away from making them - customers order them constantly."

The unique sweet and savoury flavour combination also earned the butchers a place in the Champion of Champions competition to be staged in London on October 10.

Mr Duckworth said that they had not entered any competitions for the past three years, so to win the champion awards as well as eight gold awards was a great result.