A PORK farm celebrating its 50th anniversary has joined forces with the East of England Co-op to launch a special ‘design a sausage’ competition.

Food fans will be asked to invent their own perfect pork sausage flavour at Wicks Manor Farm, of Witham Road, Tolleshunt Major, in their ‘Great Sausage Mash Up’.

All entries will be judged by three generations of the Howie family, owners of Wick Manor, who will shortlist their three favourite flavour combinations. T

The creator of each shortlisted recipe will win a hamper of Wicks Manor goodies plus a £50 East of England Co-op food voucher.

The public will then vote for their favourite recipe which will be put into production and stocked exclusively in select East of England Co-op food stores in October in time for bonfire bangers. The limited-edition sausage will also bear the name of its creator on the packaging.

The Howie family have been farming and producing premium Maldon pork at Wicks Manor since 1967 and today the local business is run by the brothers Fergus and Hamish Howie.

Fergus said: “We are extremely proud to be celebrating our 50th anniversary here at Wicks Manor, with three generations of family farming in Essex and the fourth generation in training.

“Launching this competition in partnership with the East of England Co-op is a fantastic way for us to mark the occasion and we are very much looking forward to sitting down as a family to go through what we hope will be some unique and tasty suggestions.”

The competition opened on July 3. To nominate, email info@wicksmanor.co.uk.