German master butcher Manfred immigrated to New Zealand in 2006, and since 2015 has been a New Zealand citizen. Missing a good sausage, he started up Black Stag Deli and chatted with the team about new machinery and making outstanding sausages.
What is your company background, how did you start the business?
"When you leave Europe one of the first things you miss as a German is a good sausage and bread. So, we decided to send some machinery over and make sausages ourselves. As we barbequed our sausages at parties with friends, more and more friends wanted to have our sausages, which gave us the confidence to start up a small factory in Langs Beach."
What are the current product range and variants and how do these products stand out in the market?
"The highlight for us is our MegaDog sausage. This sausage is made purely from meat with no wheat, fillers, msg, or spice extracts used. All sausages are filled in natural casings.
My personal choice is the Chorizo spicy hot. It is made the same way as the MegaDog, a bit coarser and spiced with four different kinds of chillies which still retain the flavours of the sausage and the longer you taste the sausage, the more spicy it gets, but it won’t end up as a burning fire.
I was lucky enough to grow up in Lower Frankonia, which is the capital of the German Bratwurst. Here I collected some great recipes for an outstanding sausage. Besides sausages, we offer several kinds of pates like venison, duck and pork."
Has there been any recent company news?
"Recently we received new machinery which enables us to increase supply to meet the growing demand now and in the future."
What are the plans for the business moving forward, is there any expansion on the horizon?
"With this new machinery we can produce additional volume while maintaining our quality."
Where are your products currently available to buy, and are you looking at or wanting to expand your availability? If so, where would you like to see the product situated?
"Our products can be found at Novotel Ellerslie, several restaurants in the Bay of Islands, online and at various farmers markets around Auckland and Mangawhai."
