Today it was announced that two Irish brothers are set to receive one of Europe’s highest honours when it comes to gourmet food. They’re going to be knighted for making sausages. Yes, really.
So how does one become a sausage-knight? Does it involve any kind of sausage-jousting? (Minds out of the gutter!) And just why are Irish sausages worthy of knighthood?
We attempt to answer these questions here…
Explain this to me – what on earth is a sausage-knight?
Well before you start conjuring up hilarious images of a sausage sitting on a horse in a full suit of armour, we should probably clarify. A sausage-knight is anyone who has received a knighthood as a mark of honour for the sausages that they make.
Yes, believe it or not, it’s an actual thing. Really. We swear.
Oh right, so does it involve the Queen then?
No. But it does involve the Commanderie des Fins Goustiers du Duce d’Alencon – a team of French food experts who hold the power to knight people for their services to the meat industry.
The group is dedicated to honouring the highest quality meat products in Europe and they don’t take their responsibilities lightly. Oh no. They only award the best of the best with a knighthood. And rightly so.
Why should I care about this?
Valid question. Well the bestowers of sausage and other meat-related knighthoods are coming to Ireland this week to knight five people for their amazing work when it comes to making sausages.
Two Irish brothers, Ernan and Diarmuid McGettigan from Donegal town beat off stiff competition from hundreds of other entries to come top of the sausage stakes with their hickory and maple sausage. They also won a Grand Prix of Excellence for their pork curry, banana and mango sausages and their traditional, plain old sausages also won a Grand Prix of Excellence.
In short, these men know their sausage.
Celebrity chef Neven Maguire is also receiving a knighthood because of his support of local produce and John Hickey and Dave Lang from the Association of Craft Butchers in Ireland will also receive knighthoods for their meat-based work.
So basically, we have some of the best butchers and best sausage in Europe. Awesome.
Do you get any benefits for becoming a sausage-knight?
Unlike the knights of old, who were honoured with money, land and (in some cases) the best wench in the village, becoming a sausage-knight has no real benefit other than being able to make people laugh when you tell them your new title.
Although if you’re a butcher it’s a status symbol that shows you know your meat.
When are all our future sausage-knight folk going under the sword, so to speak?
Well the French experts are flying in on Thursday and then the celebrations will begin.
You could say that the celebrations will be a right SAUSAGE-FEST…
You could. If you mean it literally, because there probably will be nothing but actual sausages at the celebrations…
