Archive Article: 2002/04/05
A SMALL butchers shop tucked away in the Cotswold village of Cam, near Dursley, Gloucestershire has swept the board of prizes in a national food event.
Thirty-one-year-old Russell Robinson, who works for Cam Family Butchers, owned by Mark Carr, has become National Pork Pie Champion for 2002 at the EMTECH National Championships held at the NEC Birmingham, beating 287 competitors. As if this were not enough, he also won the Foodex Meatex National championships with his steak and kidney pies, took 3rd place with his steak and ale pies and came 4th with his creation of lamb and mint pies.
Earlier in the year Russell picked up three trophies at the Three Counties Awards for Excellence in Meat Products with Supreme awards for both his steak and ale pies and beef stroganoff.
In 1999, proprietor Mark Carr carried off the British Meat Regional Championship with his speciality sausages and won a platinum award for his pork and apricot bangers.
Asked for his recipe for success, Russell Robinson explained: "I always use good quality lean British meat, fresh herbs and the finest of ingredients – this coupled with very slow cooking has proved to be a winning formula – the customers keep coming back – so it must be right."
The shop has won so many awards in the 15 years it has been in existence, there is no longer any room on the walls to hang all their certificates. Judging by their current success rate – there will soon be more on the way!