A LOCAL trainee butcher has savoured success at the recent Craft Butcher Awards.

Liam Neill, 19, from Stevenston, is an apprentice at Kilmarnock butcher David Faulds & Son.

They entered sweet maple pork links made by Liam and were delighted to learn this week that they had won the Diamond Award for Scotland’s best Speciality Sausage of 2016.

The idea was concocted by Liam’s mentor in the shop Iain Joliffe and their boss Ian Faulds submitted their sausages for grilling by the experts at an evaluation held at Our Kitchen to Yours at Newhouse last month.

The results were announced at the Craft Butchers regional meeting held at the Garfield House Hotel, Stepps on Tuesday, October 4.

Liam started at David Faulds almost a year ago now and is working towards a Modern Apprenticeship in meat and poultry processing. The former Ardeer Primary and Auchenharvie Academy pupil said: “The job just started with making sliced sausage, burger and links but it is really interesting in this shop learning all the craft skills. Winning this top award is fantastic.”