A WORSALL farmer has again been successful at the Royal Smithfield Show.

Brian Bainbridge, of Worsall Manor Farm, near Yarm, won the British Bacon Curers' Federation perpetual trophy for the supreme champion bacon carcass.

He has won the award a number of times in recent years and said he was thrilled at this year's success.

The farm has 400 sows which are taken through to bacon. All stock is from Yorkshire-based JSR Genetics. The females are the N21 strain and the sire is an excel (XL) boar.

"They have a meaty, lean carcase, which butchers and housewives want," said Mr Bainbridge, after returning from London. He received the award from Royal Smithfield Club deputy president, John Lakin.

The Worsall farm supplies Helmsley's Brian Thomas, of the Thomas the Butcher chain of high street shops. Bacon, ham and sausage meat is used in the firm's pies, pastries and sausage rolls. Mr Bainbridge, 45, travelled to the award ceremony with Mr Thomas.

Mr Bainbridge also praised his two staff, Richard Clark and Alan Brown, for their contribution to the farm's ongoing success.

* At the Scottish Winter Fair in Perth on Wednesday of last week, best opposite sex to the butcher's champion was a 625kg, 20-month-old bullock shown by Jonathan Craggs, of Sedgefield. It sold for £760 to Binn Farm Fresh Meat, Glenfarg.

The bullock was bought at the Carlisle March suckled calf sale from breeder John Smith-Jackson, of Melkridge, Haltwhistle. It is by the Limousin bull Shire Apollo, which has many numerous successful show calves. The bullock was also the best heavyweight butcher's animal.

Mr Craggs runs ten pedigree Limousins in his Neasless herd, alongside ten commercial suckler cows.

The overall butcher's champion was a 560kg, 18-month-old heifer sired by Shatton Pedro and bred by Mrs Phyllis Harcus of Orkney. It was shown by Scott Watson of Carnoustie, Angus and made £1,600 to the judge, Fife butcher Tom Hutcheon of JB Penman, Crail.