Local Brisbane butcher Hanno’s Country Butchery was named the Sausage King of Queensland on Saturday 13 September at the Australian Meat Industry Council’s State Awards Dinner.
Taking home the win for their traditional beef sausage, Hanno’s Country Butchery owner Darren ‘Hanno’ Hannigan said the win was a great honour.
“The team and I are thrilled to now compete nationally for the title against winners in the other states, which will be announced at the National Awards Dinner in March 2026.”
Hanno’s Country Butchery has three locations in Brisbane including retail locations at North McLean and Park Ridge Town Centre and a 436sqm Superstore at Blunder Road Shopping Village at Oxley.
Their traditional beef sausage is filled with a mix of herbs and spices in addition to premium beef from local Queensland producers and some special secret ingredients, and customers can see them being made every day at their Oxley Superstore.
“We use over 150sqm of our Oxley Superstore to show our butchers carving, slicing, prepping, breaking, mincing and sealing our meats, making our award-winning sausages and doing everything needed to run a butchery – all in full view of our customers.
“We have always been transparent with our customers and talked to them about all aspects of our products, but at Oxley our ‘back of house’ is operational butchery theatre. Our customers know exactly what they are buying, because they see it prepared or made right before them.”
A butcher for over 37 years who started as a 14-year-old apprentice, Hanno said his butchery theatre and transparency is also vital for the future of the industry, to show young people that butchering is an important and valued skill in an industry that needs apprentices and trade in independent stores to keep it going.
“There are just not the number of butcher groups or independent butchers operating now that used to when I began in the industry.
“I employ around 20 people across the Hanno’s Country Butchery stores and I want and need apprentices, and for a strong, independent butchery trade in Australia to continue.
“However, it is increasingly difficult to attract people to the industry, especially if they can’t see what they can be. By showing everyone what our butchers are doing as part of their day through our open store design, I am hoping it will benefit the industry as much as it is working for our customers and our trading success.”
Hanno’s Country Butchery at Blunder Road Shopping Village, Oxley opens from 7am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday and 7am to 4pm on weekends. Learn more hannoscountrybutchery.com.au