The hunt is on for the county's best banger.

The Great Hampshire Sausage Competition will take place on January 10th at the King's Head, Wickham.

The quest for the most succulent "snag" is organised by Hampshire Fare and backed by the county council--and all entries must contain Hampshire ingredients.

The winners will have the chance to be included in the George Gale Food Manual, which is distributed to over 100 pubs across the South-East.

There is a special "Hampshire Breakfast Sausage Class" this year to encourage more people to have a cooked meal in the morning.

Said Tim Brock, Hampshire Fare marketing officer: "Research has shown that a decent breakfast can increase mental performance throughout the day.

"The variety and quality of local produce now available means breakfasts can be better than ever for the consumer and for our farmers.

"If everyone in the UK ate one or more cooked breakfasts each month for a year, an additional 350,000 tonnes of cereals would be used--the same amount produced annually in Hampshire.

"Local produce is easier than ever to find and a typical Hampshire Farmers' Market now has around 20 different varieties of sausage.

"The aim of the competition is to find the best throughout Hampshire and make them more accessible to consumers.

"Given the problems faced by livestock farmers and butchers, it is now more important than ever to support these sectors--and there is no better way to do this than by eating more sausages."

* Ring 01962-845999 for entry details--the deadline is Friday, December 7th.