HE SELLS scores of sausages every day at work, then goes home to read sausage recipes.

Now banger-barmy Simon Broadribb has picked up a top sausage award.

The butcher, from Uptons in Bassett, Southampton, has scooped a British Sausage Appreciation Society award for services to the Great British banger.

The prize, handed out during British Sausage Week, marked a passion for food so intense that his search for sausage recipes extends well beyond work.

"My wife will tell you that I come home from working all day at the butchers, open a book about sausage recipes and start tinkering," said Simon, who earlier this year won another award for his roast beef.

"I suppose it's the same with people who love cooking - you're always thinking about the next recipe. I go out hunting for old recipe books, looking for new ways to make sausages."

Specialities at Uptons of Bassett include wild boar sausages, pork and champagne sausages and Spanish chorizo sausages.

Despite a choice of between 60 and 70 delectable bangers, the most popular sausage among customers is traditional pork.

But Simon pins his success in the British sausage tradition on always serving up fresh produce.

"You can be the best person in the world at displaying sausages, but in my book they have to be fresh every day.

"That's a big part of why we did so well in these awards," he added.

Sausage shops in Chichester and Salisbury also picked up awards at the presentation by TV chef Lesley Waters at Bertie's restaurant in Romsey.

During the week Simon donated £1 towards cystic fibrosis research for every 1lb of traditional, pork and champagne and other varieties of sausages sold.