Colchester crowds cheer Battle of the Bangers!

Colchester’s hungry workers competed against the clock in Culver Square yesterday, in the East of England Co-op’s sausage eating challenge.

The competition, to see who could eat the most sausages in a minute, was enjoyed by crowds who turned out to join in the All-Day Breakfast Rroadshow, organised as part of their annual Sourced Locally Fortnight.

The winner was Ethan Naish from the Colchester Business Improvement District, who managed five bangers in just 60 seconds.

Oli Watts, Head of Community and Communications said: “This was such a fun way to promote an important message, that as consumers we need to support local producers and shop local where we can. Sourced Locally Fortnight is an important initiative and gives food and drink producers in East Anglia the chance to shine a light on their products which are lovingly grown and created here on our doorstep.”

The All-Day Breakfast Roadshow van visited Culver Square for the event, giving spectators the chance to taste the locally sourced bacon, sausages and burgers which feature in a specially-created breakfast pack on sale in Co-op stores throughout the fortnight.

The Sourced Locally initiative is being run with the aim of encouraging shoppers to swap their usual brands for locally-produced items during the fortnight, which runs from 01 – 15 June.

The award-winning scheme has generated millions of pounds for the region since 2007, creating and protecting hundreds of local jobs. Last year, East of England Co-op customers spent just over £999,000 on locally sourced products; a 2.8% increase on 2017.

It aims to promote producers who are based locally, giving customers more choice and the ability to keep money in the local economy as well as reducing the carbon footprint created by travel distances.
Over 100 producers who stock East of England Co-op stores across the region will see their brands promoted throughout the fortnight. Thousands of products are available, ranging from fruit and vegetables, jams and chutneys, to meats, fish, pies, fruit juices and wines

The breakfast roadshow will be touring Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex throughout the fortnight. To find out when and where it will stop off, click here.