A SOUTHAMPTON butcher is celebrating after scooping a top award for his produce for the second year in a row.

Upton Butchers, in Winchester Road, Bassett, took home a gold award in the national Great Taste Awards 2003 for its smoked back bacon, after collecting the same honour in last year's competition.

Regarded as the fine food Oscars, the awards saw more than 4,000 entries this year from butchers, smokehouses and other food produce companies.

Simon Broadribb, owner of Upton Butchers, said: "We use a free-range pig to start with - it's like building a house, you've got good foundations.

"Then we dry cure it so we rub the salt in by hand, then we leave it and that draws all the water out of it, so it's got less water than pork should have.

He said: "I think it's unbelievable.

"Last year when we won we had quite a few phone calls from all round the place saying 'we would like to try your bacon' so we are expecting a lot of interest."