An Auckland butchery has snagged the top spot at The Great New Zealand Sausage Competition with its 'lamb delight' creation.

Judges had to taste a record 646 entries but Sam's Butchery in Silverdale was crowned the overall winner at a gala dinner in Auckland last night.

Owner Sam Nadason said the secret to the winning entry was taking the time to get the basics right, concentrating on perfecting the flavours and years of experience.

"My grandson was born last week too, and I think he's brought me good luck!"

Judge and food writer Kathy Paterson said there was quite a buzz around the judging table this year with some innovative flavour combinations, but it was a pure lamb sausage that took out the top spot.

Sam's Butchery was the supreme winner for its 'Lamb Delight'. Photo: Supplied / Great NZ Sausage Competition

"It can be quite tricky creating a single meat sausage, but this was an incredibly well-made sausage with a good balance of meat and fat.

"The flavour of the lamb really shone through with just a hint of mint to add freshness - it was sensational."

The judges were able to savour the entries with judging taking place in two stages.

The first round of category judging was done across six days with 17 panels of judges, each panel was made up of a technical judge and two aesthetic judges.

Entries were judged on their technical composition, aroma, appearance, texture and most importantly - the taste.

This story was originally posted by RNZ News