Forget fat-laden Aussie beef snags - Illawarra butchers have made gourmet delights such as chicken with pumpkin, parmesan and pine nut in a bid to win the Sausage King competition.

Thirteen independent local butchers from across the Illawarra and Southern Highlands put their best gourmet sausages and burgers forward for the regional division of the 2015 NSW/ACT Sausage King and Best Butchers Burger Competition, run by the Australian Meat Industry Council.

Looking more like scientists, judges in white coats gathered at TAFE Illawarra West Wollongong campus on August 19 to prod, test, cook and taste sausages and burgers. They ranged from traditional beef to more exotic flavours such as turkey with red wine and cranberries, and lamb curry with coconut and coriander.

Doug Piper, a judge from Meat and Livestock Australia, was impressed with this year's entries.

"The sausages are a very high standard, from traditional lamb sausages to the different flavours," Mr Piper said.

"It's the best I've seen."

The nine Illawarra butchers involved were Purebred Meats Thirroul, Thirroul Plaza Meats, Tarrawanna Meats A Treat, Hastie Top Taste Meats (Wollongong) Mountain Side Meats (Shoalhaven) and Berry Butchery.

Purebred Meats Thirroul claimed the most wins, with first places in the traditional Australian (beef), gourmet/open (Tasmanian apple cider), and best burger (beef, caramelised onion, beetroot and feta). It also scored highly in other categories.

Business owners Peter and Maz Deiure were delighted with the results.

"Last year was our first year back after an eight-year break from the industry," Mr Deiure said.

"We've got a staff of five in the shop. It's a combined team effort and I'm very proud of everybody."

Purebred Meats and other first-place winners, Hastie Top Taste Meats and Mountain Side Meats, will compete in the state final on September 12.