Sausage man snags top award

When it comes to sausages, they don’t come much better than the ones made by Greg Scopas of Hoteo North.

At least that’s the opinion of judges of the inaugural Supreme Award for Artisan, in this year’s Cuisine Awards.

From a field of 400 nominations NZ-wide and 90 different food items, Greg picked up the award for his Sicilian Sweet Fennel Sausages, which are marketed under the name Salumeria Fontana.

“I couldn’t get the smile off my face when I heard we’d won,” he says. “I’ve moved heaven and earth to get the recipe right, and we feel the award recognises that effort.”
Greg was introduced to the art of sausage making by his Italian grandparents. He lived in Italy for a year and visited often, picking up tips on their cuisine along the way.

After reading a complaint from the head of Prada, during the America’s Cup Challenge that he couldn’t find a decent sausage in NZ, Grey decided it was time to turn his sausage-making hobby into a business. He started in a factory at Henderson in 2000, shifting to Hoteo North, just south of Wellsford, three years ago. He also produces extra virgin olive oil from the grove on his property.

The fennel sausages are one of six in his range, which he sells locally from his factory and at the Matakana Farmers Market.

“It’s the flavour that really gets people in – more like a fresh salami than a traditional sausage. I use only top-quality meat and no preservatives.”

Greg Scopas with his prize-winning sausages.