A WORCESTERSHIRE butchers has been recognised for its innovative barbecue products.

Checketts of Ombersley, in Ombersley, near Worcester, was awarded an Outstanding Merit Certificate for its Worcester Pork Steak.

The dish was assessed by celebrity chef and television personality Antony Worrall-Thompson as part of the 2002 Guild of Q Butchers National Barbecue Championships.

The Guild of Q Butchers is an association of independent butchers who pride themselves on the quality of their meat and also their customer service.

The championships, held in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, featured the best barbecue ideas from 12 teams of Q butchers from all over Britain.

Each product was judged on innovation, presentation and quality. Tony Checketts, owner of Checketts of Ombersley, said he and his team were very pleased to have got their products into the finals of the competition.

"We were up against stiff competition - the top butchers in the country were there.

"The brief was to use British meat, so we took a very lean shoulder pork steak and marinated it in mead wine and whole grain mustard."

The firm also entered a sirloin steak stuffed with asparagus and horseradish-mustard.

The overall "supreme" award was taken out by a team from the guild's southern region.

The Guild of Q Butchers is now running a national barbecue promotion, with all the recipes in the competition available from every guild member's shop.