I shouldn’t have laughed. Really, I shouldn’t. But it was impossible not to, writes Andy Richardson.

A smile broke into titter, which gave way to a big, guffawing, can’t-help-myself, side-splitting laugh. “Ahe he he he heeee.”

I should explain. We were gathered at Heart of England Fine Foods’ annual Sizzle Off, which took place at Telford’s Aga Shop, in Ketley, to find the county’s two best sausages.

A panel of five assembled judges offered their tastebuds up for an assault on the senses.

There was a sausage, it would be indiscreet to name it, that tasted of porridge. There was a chilli variety that stripped the tongue down to fibre and sinew.

And there was a honey sausage – amusingly nicknamed ‘the pudding sausage’ by one judge who became overwhelmed by its sweet stickiness.

But the funniest moment came when a venison banger failed to find favour with one of the panel.

“Uuurrggh,” she said, as her face contorted puggishly. “Oohhhuurrggghh,” she said again, lifting a serviette to her mouth. “I’ve got to go,” came a voice from deep within her.

She dashed from her seat to a quiet corner of the showroom.

When she returned, the serviette, along with the sausage, were gone, never to return.

Of course, there was a serious point to the day’s events.

Lynn Wood, the charming Heart of England Fine Foods organiser, was trying to showcase the depth of talent that Shropshire has.

And while there were moments of disappointment, the judges praised almost all of the 27 varieties tasted.

The quality was something else. Sausages were well seasoned, moist, juicy and full of flavour. There was high quality meat, including delicious rare breed pork, beef, venison and lamb.

And the speciality sausages were something else.

Who’d have thought Shropshire would be a hotbed for curry and mango sausage, or a chestnut and orange variety.

The Shropshire Sizzle Off, for all its moments of comedy, was a celebration of the many things that are great about county food.

Local producers provided judges with the sternest of tests by making a variety of bangers that were simply first class.

With one or two exceptions, entrants earned rich praise.

And they deserved it.