Meat + Poultry - February 2005 - 32

determine the best tasting product
based on personal preferences. Winning products cannot be entered
again.
During the past 11 years, N.M.A.
staffers have had to deal with ballot box stuffing, ticket scalping and
mixed-up entries. "It hasn't been
perfect," says Mucklow. "However,
our goal has been for the event to
be fun, and I think we have accomplished it."
Winners of the event receive a
plaque sponsored by Morehouse
Foods, an ingredients supplier that
specializes in mustard, and titled the
"Hold the Mustard Award." "People
always find it ironic that the winner
gets a plaque sponsored by someone
who sells mustard, but is titled 'Hold
the Mustard,'" says Mucklow.
There is even a story behind the
plaque itself. It features a jar of Morehouse Foods mustard in the center.
"Have you ever tried to cut a jar of
mustard in half and keep the label
perfect?" asks Etta Reyes, associate
director. "I don't recommend anyone
try it, because it's not easy."
While the idea of the Gourmet
Sausagefest is simple, the logistics are
not. "It takes a lot of people to coordinate with the association members
who enter and the hotel staff that has
to prepare the product," says Reyes.
"We learned our lesson a few
years ago when the staff at one hotel
got the entrants' products mixedup," interjects Mucklow. "That was
a real mess."
In 1994, the inaugural year of the

Sausagefest, the winner of the event
was Saag's Products, Inc., San Leandro, Calif. "Our liver sausage with
pistachio nuts (the winning product)
is still a good niche product for us,"
says Jim Mosle, C.E.O. "We've expanded our product line since 1994,
but our goals are still the same."
The bulk of Saag's business is
done in Northern California, but
Mosle says the company has ex-

The company's Chicken, Potato
and Sun Dried Tomato Sausage is
still one of its mainstays, but Lott
says the company has added a few
other products since 1996. "We've
expanded our product line and
pounded our way into some of the
major retailers in Northern California," he says.
The company's claim to fame has
been the use of potato as a moisture

Our goal has been for the event
to be fun, and I think we have
accomplished it.
panded into Southern California and
Colorado. The company offers an
extensive product line of more than
100 varieties of sausage and specialty meats in almost every category,
including frankfurters, traditional
entrée sausages, gourmet poultry
sausages, breakfast links, roast beef,
roast turkey, hams, pate, sandwich
meats, dry and semi-dry salamis,
and snack meats.
Montibella Sausage Co., Orinda,
Calif., won the Sausagefest in 1996
with its Chicken, Potato & Sun Dried
Tomato Sausage. "The Sausagefest
is a great event," says Skip Lott,
owner of the company. "We enter
whenever we can." Lott says Montibella will be on the ballot again this
year during the association's annual
convention and MEATXPO in Las
Vegas.

binder and for texture. Lott says the
company took "a little bit of a hit"
during the whole low carb frenzy,
but has seen things start to pickup
since then. "Everything runs in
cycles," he says. "The low-fat craze
a decade ago helped get us on the
map and the low-carb trend hurt us,
because people saw potato on our
ingredient statement."
Mucklow and Reyes say they have
no plans to change the Gourmet Sausagefest. "I don't see a reason to,"
says Mucklow. "We've worked out the
kinks and it is still a popular event at
all of our meetings. The event is about
having fun, and I don't see a reason to
change anything if people are enjoying themselves."
We would like to hear from you- your comments
and questions about this article are welcome.
E-mail the author at: knunes@sosland.com

Championship links
Previous winners of N.M.A.'s annual Gourmet Sausagefest

1994 - Saag's Products, Inc.: Liver Sausage with Pistachio Nuts
1995 - Farmer John Meats: Natural Casing Meat Wieners
1996 - Montibella Sausage Company: Chicken, Potato & Sun Dried Tomato Sausage
1997 - Silva Sausage Company: Linguica
1998 - Wimmer Meats: Natural Casing Wiener
1999 - Uncle Louie Sausage Company: Sweet Onion Sausage
2000 - Hill Meat Company: German Brand Sausage
2001 - California State Univ., Fresno: Bulldog Pepper Jack Sausage
2002 - Busseto Foods: Sopressata Calabrese
2003 - Hemplers B.B. Meat & Sausage Co.: German Brand Smoked Sausage
2004 - Dakota Brand Sausage: Halal All Beef Hot Links
www.MEATPOULTRY.com

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