M Newitt & Sons, a local butcher based on the High Street, Thame, has won several awards at the 2011 Smithfield Awards, a national product evaluation which is among the most coveted in the meat industry.

The prestigious awards are organised by the Q Guild of Butchers, which is the UK’s top independent butchers’ organisation.

The evaluation consists of eight categories, within each, products can win one of four awards- Diamond, Gold, Silver or Bronze. One of the Diamond award products is then selected as the overall winner of the evaluation. More than 400 products from Q Guild members across the UK were assessed in the product evaluation by an independent panel of judges, made up of both industry experts and lay judges.

M Newitt & Sons won five Gold awards, for its Chicken and Ham Slicing Pie in the Pies and Bakery (Cold) category; its Steak Pie in the Pies and Bakery (Hot) category; and its Traditional Green Back Bacon, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Long Cnendon Black Bacon, all in the Bacon and Cured category.

Tom Newitt commented: “We’re thrilled that our products have been recognised in the Smithfield Awards, and we’re especially proud to have received five Gold awards. As a Q Guild member, we regard ourselves as among Britain’s best butchers, and these awards prove that we have the products to match. Winning a Smithfield Award definitely adds value and prestige to our business as a whole.”

The awards ceremony took place on 8^th November 2011 at Butchers Hall in London. Celebrity chef and TV presenter Ainsley Harriott attended and presented M Newitt & Sons with their awards.

The Q Guild (www.qguild.co.uk) has 140 members across the UK, and serves £3 million worth of meat and related products to over a quarter of a million UK consumers every week.