RAGLAN butcher N S James and Son has reached the finals in the butcher category of the 2016 Countryside Alliance Awards.

Wishing Neil and his team every success in the finals, Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay said: “We’re very fortunate in Raglan to have such a high class butcher. Neil was the first in Wales to be awarded the Rare Breeds Specialist Standard and he has won numerous competitions, including the coveted True Taste of Wales.

“His faggots are famous far and wide and were served to over 300 Commissioners of the European Parliament at a major banquet hosted by the Welsh Assembly’s first Minister.”

Judging will now take place and the winners will be announced at a reception in Cardiff on 1st February 2017.

From there they will go forward to compete against other winners from across the country in the final. They will then be invited to the House of Lords for the winners’ category reception in March.