Stephen Plume, a self-confessed "sausage fanatic" from Norfolk, is scouring the country in search of tasty recipes and on Tuesday started his journey at the town's Musk's factory.

He said: "I am going on a two-wheeled journey around the UK to help raise the profile of British sausages on a low-carbon footprint motorbike, which has been kindly donated by Triumph of Norfolk."

He plans to visit some of the best butchers and sausage makers across the country, clocking up some 5,000 miles in the process.

"They have lots of various activities in store for me, including making sausages, eating sausages, talking sausages and even helping to sell them at farmers markets," he said.

Mr Plume, 29, a maths teacher, has even dedicated a website to his favourite food, and it gets about 30,000 visitors a week.

The site lists more than 1,000 recommended sausage makers, including the famous Newmarket brands, Powters and Musk's.

His journey started with a visit to the town where he was able to re-live a fond childhood memory.

"Not only is Newmarket the home of a famous sausage, but it is also where the journey began for me as a child when I stayed with my grandmother in Moulton," he explained.

"She was keen to help me grow up big and strong and used to feed me Musk's sausages for breakfast.

"This is where my love for sausages comes from and I am now 6ft 5in, so I think she knew what she was doing."

Although he now lives near Diss, Mr Plume still counts eating the sausages as one of his favourite memories of Newmarket, and remembers being "awestruck" watching horses warming up on Warren Hill early in the morning.

Musk's itself has been producing its Newmarket sausage since 1884, when the company was established by local butcher James Musk, from Stetchworth.

He established the company with his wife Elizabeth Drake, who was 10 years his senior, and the couple proceeded to open a series of shops in the area.

Chris Sheen, the current owner of Musk's, said: "The original spices were mixed outside Newmarket in Stetchworth before the sausages were then sent to the High Street branch, which is now the Nationwide Building Society, where the meat would have probably have been mixed upstairs in what are now the offices."

The sausage is a well recognised feature in Newmarket's heritage and there is a traditional rivalry between Musk's and Powters.

Mr Plume said that what also makes Musks so special for him is the fact that the company uses local meat in its products, which are handmade at the factory and distribution centre in the town.

Musks, which has enjoyed the Royal Warrant on its products since 1907, has delivered its sausages to the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the late Queen Mother.

The company still enjoys providing the Queen with sausages when she takes up residence at Sandringham each Christmas.

Powters, meanwhile, famously markets its products during the summer race meetings at the July course, where it provides the prize for the town Plate race, first introduced by King Charles II in the 17th century. The company remains a thriving family business.

The next stop for Mr Plume, who calls himself the "Sausage King", is Lincoln, while he also plans to visit Avon and Oxford as part of his journey.

He is even even planning to take some time out from teaching during the summer to sample the best British produce.

He added: "I hope to travel as far as my wife will let me."

You can follow his adventures at www.sausageking.co.uk. For more on his sausage know-how, visit www.sausagefans.com.