Butcher James Collicoat and wife Hayley returned to their hometown on Tuesday with a runner-up accolade in the National Sausage King Competition for their traditional Australian beef entry.

The Collicoats have based their business Pyrenees Premium Cuts, with limited operations, from their new Maryborough shop since the Avoca fire in September.

Meanwhile, family business Flora Hill Quality Meats came third in the continental category at the competition for its Italian sausage.

Flora Hill Quality Meats owner David Dargaville headed to Fremantle for the competition with his son Thomas.

His other son Jackson had made the sausages and stayed home to run the business.

The family has experienced plenty of success in the past, winning national competitions for sausages and state competitions for smallgoods.

But David Dargaville said he was still surprised to place in this year's contest due to the high quality of competition.

Mr Dargaville said Flora Hill Quality Meats had been producing the Italian sausage for 15 years.

"It's a very old recipe that came to our business from an old Italian," he said. "We haven't changed anything."

The Collicoats' accolade comes days after Grampians Grape Escape revealed Mr Collicoat was set to put on a show with Dublin nose-to-tail celebrity chef and My Kitchen Rules judge Colin Fassnidge at the May festival.

"We think it's fantastic Avoca and Maryborough can carry this title. We feel so lucky and privileged to bring home to Victoria the second best sausage in Australia," Ms Collicoat said.

The Collicoats spent four days in Perth for on-site testing and taste judging with workshops alongside the nation's best butchers.

Ms Collicoat said they were proud with what they had achieved in what had been such a difficult time for their business.

Work to restore the Avoca butcher shop is making slow progress but Ms Collicoat remained hopeful they would be back working in town by mid-year.

They still supply local businesses with their product in Avoca and Ararat and people can order from their Maryborough store, but Ms Collicoat said had been a hard journey.

Opportunities to work alongside chefs like Mr Fassnidge are exciting for the Collicoats as they continue to develop the business they opened almost three years ago.

Ms Collicoat said the butchery techniques demonstration at the Grape Escape helped people to better understand different cuts for different cooking methods.

Mr Fassnidge is then billed to lead a big cook-up with cuts from the workshop.

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