Green sausages are the talk of the town, but there’s no green eggs and ham in sight.
Since 1987 Lindbeck’s Butchery has been making green sausages at their Queanbeyan shop in support of the Canberra Raiders.
Ahead of the Raiders’ Friday 22 August match against the Penrith Panthers, green fever once again hit the butchery – with sales of the sausages starting one day earlier than planned due to demand, owner Peter Lindbeck said.
By the second of four days of sales, Thursday, Peter said they had already sold hundreds of kilograms.
“We’ll probably make about 600 or 700 kilos, so we’ll be getting up here,” he told CD.
“This looks like if the Raiders continue on (progressing through the finals) – which I’m sure they will – it could the biggest lot of snags we’ve ever had to make.”
Peter started the tradition with his father almost 40 years ago with “just a little trickle of interest” from customers.
“We would have sold 20 or 30 kilos in that [year], but now it’s become a bit of a cult thing really,” he said.
In the lead up to the Raiders’ 2019 Grand Final against the Sydney Roosters, which resulted in a 14-8 loss, the butchery pumped out more than a tonne of the sausages.
Much is his love for the Green Machine, that Peter has a photograph of him holding up green sausages in the shop taken in 1994, which is framed and signed by “legends” of the Raiders including: Ricky Stuart, David Furner, Ken Nagas, Laurie Daley, Jason Croker, David Boyle, Mal Meninga, Luke Davico, and then-coach Tim Sheens.
With Queanbeyan being the original home of the Canberra Raiders at Seiffert Oval from 1982 to 1989, Peter said the support for the sausages was special.
“Yeah, it really does it. It really is good that this is really the home and the heart and soul of the Raiders,” he said.
“So, it makes it really special for us that it is local.”
Peter also grew up with many of the team’s former players.
“I always like to say that I actually played rugby union with Ricky Stuart and David Furner,” he said.
“I’m, not kidding myself and I’m not anywhere near the calibre of those blokes, but it was certainly great and that was the start of their careers.
“Those two guys came out of St Edmund’s (College) in Canberra.
“We’re just running around here in local rugby and all of a sudden they were in the Raiders and then were in the Australian team and the State of Origin.
“So ever since those blokes came in, you were certainly a huge fan of the Raiders, watching those blokes come through.”
For anyone wanting to get their hands on some green sausages over the next few days visit the butchery at 21A Cooma St, Queanbeyan NSW, 2620.
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