A MEAL without meat isn't a meal - it's a snack.

And with that fact in mind I gladly accepted an invitation to sample the meat treats at The Sausage Shop, in Warrington Market, at the beginning of National Sausage Week.

The shop, owned by Russell and Sharon Willis, launched a special promotion on Tuesday with 10 per cent off all sales going towards helping the sufferers of Cystic Fibrosis.

And on Saturday, the store will open a barbecue stand selling 10-inch hotdogs for £2.50, with 50p from every sale going to charity.

Russell said: "All our sausages are handmade and top quality.

"We use 90 per cent meat, which is very high, and we use Danish skin, which is very thin."

The traditional pork variety I was offered certainly met this description, although I would have liked to try the leek and chilli Welsh Dragon' or the Toulouse' flavour at the front of the counter.

The couple, who have been working in Warrington Market for nearly five years, also offer individual sausages for sale so customers can pick and mix when putting together a buffet for a party or buy one individually for their tea.

The idea to help the Cystic Fibrosis Trust came about when the British Sausage Appreciation Society announced it was to help raise funds for the UK's most common life threatening inherited disease.

It says the partnership is a perfect fit as people with Cystic Fibrosis often have poor appetites and require diets high in calories and protein to maintain a good body weight, which helps fight infection.

Sharon hopes the store can do its bit to help.

She said: "This is a good way to make some money for the charity.

"A friend of my son had cystic fibrosis, so it's a cause close to my heart."

This December the store will launch a Christmas Cheer' sausage with whisky and a hint of orange and an Italian sausage called a Festive Feast'.

And I might be popping down to get a banger or two for my family's pigs in blankets!