The famous Porkinson sausage - created in the 1980s by photographer to the stars Norman Parkinson - has been quietly scrapped by Kerry Foods following a sausage portfolio review.

On sale since 1987, Porkinson was one of the UK’s most enduring premium sausage brands. In its heyday it was served on Concorde flights and in top hotels and restaurants such as The Ritz and The Ivy.

But Kerry has pulled the plug on the brand following a strategic review of its portfolio, which will see the company focus more on the mainstream sausage market. “This allows us to focus on our core sausage brands – Wall’s and Richmond – which remain two of the nation’s favourite sausage brands,” a spokesman said.

Kerry refreshed Porkinsons’ packaging in September 2010, but it has recently focused its NPD efforts on Wall’s and Richmond. Earlier this year, it extended the Richmond brand into pre-packed sliced ham in the UK, and in April it launched Wall’s Perfect for Pasta Sausageballs.

Parkinson, who died in 1990, was a well-known portrait and fashion photographer in the 1950s and 1960s and photographed Elizabeth Taylor, Twiggy and Prince Charles.

He turned to pig rearing and sausage production later in life, initially selling his Porkinson bangers through West London butcher shops before gaining listings in high-end foodhalls, including Fortnum & Mason and the mults.

In 2009, Heston Blumenthal reportedly declared Porkinson his favourite sausage.