AN Oxfordshire butcher is making a big bang in the British food industry after his gourmet sausages won a prestigious award.

Paul Garnish, who owns Supreme Sausages, has picked up the Food and Farming Industry’s Retailer of the Year award for his unique mail order sausage club which sees customers get bundles of bangers through the post.

The family-run firm, based in Chalgrove, near Thame, was founded 19 years ago by Mr Garnish, who quit his job at a butcher’s shop on Christmas Eve to start the firm with his heavily pregnant wife, Janice.

After devising secret recipes for the bangers, Mr Garnish started out handing out packs to butchers and restaurants for free and leaving a business card so firms could order more.

In his first year he turned over £60,000, but he now boasts annual sales of £1.3m and employs 15 people including his two brothers, Mark and Jason, and his 20-year-old son Jacob.

After selling thousands of packs of bangers at trade shows around the country Mr Garnish set up Britain’s first sausage club. It has more than 5,000 members.

The club sees members pay £64 which entitles them to two deliveries of any 10 packs of sausages.

The unusual sales method saw the firm shortlisted for the award ceremony held at the House of Commons.

Mr Garnish, of Chinnor Hill, near Thame said: “There can’t be any stranger way of selling sausages than sending them through the post.

“It’s absolutely amazing to win the prize, we’re gobsmacked.

“Just being shortlisted was exciting enough in itself but to win was totally amazing.

“We have never put ourselves forward for any award it’s only because one of our customers nominated us for this that it happened.

The 47-year-old, who began working at Mike Newitt’s butchers in Thame aged 14, said: “It’s such a nice thing after nearly 20 years hard work to get an accolade like this.”

The firm now makes 12 flavours of banger, however Mr Garnish said the recipe of his success was the quality of his ingredients, attention to detail and making sure the customer is happy.

Mrs Garnish, 44, said: “We’re over the moon.

“It’s a real boost to the company and it’s recognition of all the hard work and hours we have put into it.”

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk