little boys - No ordinary sausage.

There's nothing ordinary about award-winning little boys. They're crafted by Master Chef Jeremy Schmid to be good enough to serve at top restaurants.

Jeremy knows what he's talking about. He's the Owner & Executive Chef at Two Fifteen Bar & Bistro in Dominion Road (www.twofifteen.co.nz) and is the former Chef de Cuisine at Sky City’s Orbit Restaurant. He conceived the idea of little boys back in 2001 in the Napa Valley while he was studying the European tradition of charcuterie at the famed Culinary Institute of America.

His quest led him to New Zealand's only Swiss sausage factory, (view factory) in the tiny town of Te Aroha West, nestled up against the mighty Kaimai ranges. He took the lease and moved south.

There, about 6 km south-east of the big smoke of Te Aroha, in the vine-covered weatherboard factory, Jeremy set to work.

His vision was to combine the best quality New Zealand meats, some of the world's most exciting and adventurous flavours and the tradition of European meat craft.

To this mix, he added something at the heart of all great cooking – time.

For 18 months he dedicated himself to creating and refining a range of exciting new flavours, testing and refining them continuously until they met his exacting standards, built up over 19 years as a Chef.

The result is a superb range of flavours that have been recognised by the best palates in New Zealand. little boys Duck & Porcini beat more than 400 other entries to win gold in the Gourmet category of the Great New Zealand Sausage Competition in 2004 and 2005 and was the Supreme Sausage in 2004.

In creating little boys, nothing was left to chance – except for one thing. Jeremy and his business partner had yet to find a name for the new product.

Now, these two could be pretty passionate about their creations. One day as they were engaged in an intense discussion in the office, someone walked in and made the observation: “Look at them, just like a couple of little boys”. That pretty much settled the name question there and then.

Cook with respect - little boys have been made with care. For best results cook them with the respect they deserve.

No need to pierce the casings. Cook your little boys in a pan or grill using a medium heat for two – three minutes each side.

Treat little boys like you would a quality steak, when ready they should spring back from a press test.

Serve & enjoy.

Available at all good delis and in selected supermarkets.