Crowds turned out in their thousands for a weekend of food, music and competitive sausage sampling.
Nearly 4,000 visitors attended the three-day Muncaster Sausage Festival for a long weekend of food, fun and entertainment.
The event featured a programme of live music, craft markets, dog competitions, inflatable sausage racing and more, but the main attraction was the Sausage Championship 2026.
This year’s contest saw a record 14,382 sausage samples tasted and voted on at the festival’s Sausage Monument, with six sausage makers competing for the crown.
Contenders included Bewley's Sausage Ltd, Istanbul's Kitchen, Melville Tyson, Napier's Butchers, The Cumberland Boerewors Co., and Yardies Jamaican Street Food.
Each brought a unique twist to the classic sausage in hopes of taking home the top prize.
The championship began on Saturday, with the 2024 champions, The Cumberland Boerewors Co., taking an early lead and being named day one winners.
Known for their traditional South African beef sausage, seasoned with a secret blend of authentic South African spices, The Cumberland Boerewors Co. proved a popular choice.
However, defending champions Bewley's Sausage Ltd secured Sunday’s win with their classic Cumberland sausage.
On Monday, it was Yardies Jamaican Street Food who took the top spot, impressing the crowds with their fusion of Cumbrian and Caribbean flavours.
After the final votes were counted, it was The Cumberland Boerewors Co. who emerged as the overall Sausage Champions for 2026.
With the highest single-day turnout in the festival’s history recorded on the final day, organisers are already looking ahead to next year’s event.
Plans are already underway for 2027 as Muncaster looks to build on the record success of this year’s festival.
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