A SOUTHAMPTON butcher has won three regional awards for excellence in meat products.

Simon Broadribb, 32, who has been working in the meat trade since he was 12, was "over the moon" about the plaudits.

The butcher scooped two gold awards and one silver from the Meat and Livestock Commission.

He said: "It is only about the second time I have entered something like this and I'm very pleased to win it - especially as it is a local award."

The commission gave him gold awards for his speciality chicken and almond sausage and for his pork, orange, apricot and gruyere roast. The silver award was for Simon's traditional pork.

One of the judges in the awards, Steve Derrick, described Simon's pork roast as delicious.

He added: "It was lovely. A good product, well cooked, well presented and we awarded it a gold award for merit."

Simon opened his shop Upton's, Winchester Road, Bassett, on November 1, 1994.

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