Purple Plum Catering chef director Charlie Hodson has been crowned winner of The Great Sausage Roll Off 2017 competition.

Hodson’s winning sausage roll ‘From Norfolk with Love’, beat off competition from 19 chefs from across the country.

His creation was described as a homage to locally sourced Norfolk ingredients. The pork was from a local pig farmer called Tim Alan, whom Hodson has known since the age of 16. Meanwhile, the puff pastry was made with the finest flour from Letheringsett, Norfolk.

The event was held at the Red Lion pub in Barnes, London, where Hodson was presented with the accolade by beer and food writer Melissa Cole.

Running for its fifth consecutive year, the competition raised more than £1,300 in aid of children’s hospice charity Shooting Star Chase.

Second place went to Alan Paton, executive chef at Stoke by Hayland Hotel Golf and Spa, with third place going to Brendan Fyldes, head chef at Green and Fortune at Sea Containers.

Hodson spoke to British Baker and described the moment he was declared winner.

“I thought they had made a mistake. I didn’t go to win, I went to fly the flag for Norfolk,” he said.

“I had not made the sausage roll before, so it was one-off. I heard about the competition through Alan Paton, who came runner-up.

“It’s been crazy since I’ve won,” he added. “I haven’t got off the phone in three days.”

Hodson’s winning sausage roll appeared on Channel 4’s programme Sunday Brunch last weekend (29 January).