A COUPLE’S sausages will be sold at a supermarket in the Cotswolds after they won a competition to make the best local ‘banger’.

Peter and Mrs Bowen’s sausages will be available at the Midcounties Co-operative store in Bourton-on-the-Water.

The couple won a contest which saw 150 customers submit their entries for the best local ‘banger’. After they reached the final three, their wild boar, apple and sage recipe recipe was cooked and sampled in store by customers who had the final say with a vote.

As part of their prize, the couple, who live in Bourton-on-the-Water, visited Todenham Manor Farm in Moreton-in-Marsh to help produce the first batch.

The sausages will be stocked as part of the ‘Best of Our Counties’ ranges and will see 20p of all proceeds go to the store’s local charity partner, Newlands Park Sports and Social Club in Cheltenham and the 6th Chipping Norton Scout Group.

Mr Bowen said: “As lovers of local food, it was fantastic to see our recipe come to life and stocked on the shelves of The Midcounties Co-operative Food store in Bourton, all while raising money for a fantastic organisation in Gloucestershire. I’ve always loved pork and apple sausages and the local wild boar with the sage in our recipe adds an extra level of flavour. We hope other customers enjoy them as much as we do.”

Wayne Standley, Todenham Manor Farm’s butcher, said: “The Bowens’ sausages were a classic recipe with a twist and it was a pleasure to show them round our farm and produce the very first batch.

“We began working with the Co-operative Food last year. Our outdoor-reared meat products are stocked in the store’s Best of Our Counties range alongside some other great Gloucestershire producers.”

Matt Fletcher, direct sourcing manager at Midcounties Co-operative Food, said: “Best of Our Counties is all about celebrating local food and the suppliers behind them. This competition has been a fantastic opportunity to also get our customers involved in the initiative and choose what they want to see in our ranges.”