In pictures: Record participation for Harwich's 2024 Sausage Festival

The annual event took place on Saturday November 2, with nine different sausages up for tasting in the Alma, New Bell and Stingray pubs.

Also, for the first time this year 'fringe' sausages were available in the Globe, the Crown Post, Home of the Hanny, and the Samuel Pepys.

Procession - The Harwich Town Crier warms up the crowd for the procession to Harwich Green (Image: Rob Oxborrow) The Alma Inn recorded 300 single use sausage skewers being dispensed showing the number of people who were touring Harwich’s pubs to enjoy the festival.

While after three hours of intense debate and tasting, Becky’s Butchers of Great Bromley achieved top spot, fighting off nine other butchers from North Essex, in the blind public tasting.

Winner - Gareth Gruff Francis gets ready for his first throw (Image: Rob Oxborrow) Joint sausage festival organiser, Richard Oxborrow, said: “Every sausage sampled was a delight and I congratulate all of the competing butchers for the quality of their entry.

“To win amongst that level of competition is a remarkable accolade for Becky’s Butchers of Great Bromley.”

Record - All time Harwich sausage throwing record holder, Todd Rothwell, prepares to throw (Image: Rob Oxborrow) Overall, 72 kilos (over 11 stone) of sausages were available for public sampling in the six Harwich pubs and these were consumed alongside a wide range of quality real ales and ciders.

Marshall - Sausage Marshal, Colin Cheesman, records a throw (Image: Rob Oxborrow) The festival began with the traditional sausage throwing competition, with only out of date supermarket bangers used.

However, the windy conditions on Harwich Green meant that the hundreds of spectators gathered to cheer the throwers on were not treated to anything approaching the record throw.

Tasting - The blind tasting competition gets underway at the New Bell (Image: Richard Oxborrow) Joint sausage festival organiser, Colin Cheesman, added: “The wind meant that Todd Rothwell’s 2019 record throw of 171 feet was never in danger and it was Gareth ‘Gruff’ Francis, the brewer at Gruff Brewery, throwing for Becky’s Butchers who won the competition with a throw of 105 feet. 

“He was able to celebrate his win with a pint of his own remarkable P2 Porter which was a particular favourite in the New Bell Inn throughout the festival. It was another fantastic day in the pubs of Historic Harwich.”