This is excellent news on the eve of one of the highlights in the butcher’s calendar, Sausage Week, an annual celebration of the family favourite.

Quality Meat Scotland, the Scottish red meat promotion body, is helping members of their Scotch Butchers Club capitalise on the continuing popularity of pork, beef and lamb sausages in Scotland by offering shoppers free customised badges celebrating the sizzle.

QMS Marketing Manager Laurent Vernet said: “The average shopper buys sausages 26 times a year and it’s one of the most popular meals in busy homes.

“Quick, easy to cook and tasty, there’s a type and flavour to whet every appetite and suit every budget. Interestingly, at a time when we are all feeling the pinch, more and more consumers are choosing to pay a bit more and buy premium sausages.

“Scotland produces the finest quality meat that’s goes into our butcher’s sausages and we are delighted to be backing Sausage Week once again. I am sure our new badges will prove to be a hit with both old and young shoppers alike.”