A PUBLIC vote has opened to choose a brand new sausage flavour in the ‘Great Sausage Mash Up’, a competition run by Essex pork farm Wicks Manor and the East of England Co-op.

Held to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Wicks Manor farm in Tolleshunt Major, the competition launched in July and encouraged food fans in Essex to invent their own pork sausage flavour – no matter how wild, wacky or traditional. Among the wide variety of ingredients suggested were apricot, spinach, pomegranate and even cream cheese.

After much deliberation by three generations of the Howie family, owners of Wicks Manor, three shortlisted recipes have been selected and will now be put to the public vote.

The most popular suggestion will be turned into a real limited-edition sausage, stocked in a selection of East of England Co-op food stores.

Facing the public vote is pork with honey suggested by Amy Buckle, pork with chorizo suggested by Ann Peters and pork with sundried tomato and jalapeno suggested by Joanne O’Neil.

The creators of each flavour will receive a hamper of Wicks Manor goodies and a £50 East of England Co-op food voucher, and are now hoping their suggestion will be voted as the public’s favourite.

Since 1967 the Howie family has been producing premium Maldon pork at Wicks Manor and today the business is run by the brothers Fergus and Hamish Howie.

Fergus said: “The Great Sausage Mash Up has been a great success with more than 50 nominations received. As a whole family, we loved getting together to choose the three shortlisted recipes and look forward to seeing which one will win.”

The public vote opened on Monday August 14 until midday on Thursday September 14, with the winner announced the following day.

The winning recipe will then be put into production and stocked exclusively in select East of England Co-op food stores in October, with the limited-edition sausage bearing the name of its creator on the packaging.

To vote, visit: www.wicksmanorcompetition.com.