Walsingham Farm Shop - Heacham - Traditional Pork Sausage

Walsingham-Farm-Shop  is a fabulous little place situated just outside the western Norfolk seaside town of Heacham, and has a sister shop found, unsurprisingly, in Walsingham.  I was visiting on a triple mission, to find some unique foodie Christmas presents for my family, to sample the breakfast in the adjoining Lavender-Kitchen restaurant, and to get my hands on some of the home-produced sausages from the farm shop itself.

The interior of the shopping is visually stunning, and you’ll find the meat counter towards the rear, right-hand side.  The resident master butcher is Michael, an engaging and knowledgeable young man who is in charge of butchery at both locations.  You’ll find the same cuts of pork, beef and lamb at both outlets, and the livestock is all prepared on site, which has to be a good thing.  I chose the Traditional Pork bangers for my introduction to Walsingham , and Michael described them as “a jack of all trades sausage, you can use them for all kinds of sausage dishes, and children like them too.”  While telling me this he was hacking huge slices of meat from what appeared to be a diplodocus leg (pronounced - well, however you want to, opinion is split down the middle, as voted by you, the Rate My Sausage readers - see, there was a reason for that poll) skilfully wielding a broad-bladed hatcher that wouldn't look out of place on the set of Conan the Barbarian....so I wasn't arguing....

Meat Content:

After Michael’s self-deprecating comments that played down his sausages somewhat I wasn’t expecting too much, but these are pretty good.  You’ll find a small-ish banger with a bigger meat presence that you’d expect – maybe the proportion of pork is being understated a little – the figure quoted was “80 to 85%”.  There’s no slop, no sludge, the meat you get is the good stuff – and that may not be surprising when you consider that Walsingham Farm Shops use free range pork which is reared just around the corner at South Creake (for any passing eco-pedants, that’s a distance of just thirteen food miles).

Flavour:

A pleasingly warm and comforting flavour which I rather enjoyed.  The seasoning is sufficient without being overpowering and there’s a nice sagey-ness running throughout.  You won’t find any headline stealing outlandishness, no bizarre ingredients are needed, this is a flavourful little sausage that will leave you feeling content and with a smile on your face.  I asked for the recipe, but as always was told “It’s a secret.”  Whatever!

Texture:

Walsingham Farm Shops’ Traditional Pork sausages felt nice and grainy when I was slicing them up for the photos.  The skins are natural and good and they cover a very acceptable and bobbly filling.  Michael certainly has ground together a texture that we like – coarse and just about crumbly enough to tick the box if you’re serious about your sausages but definitely youngster friendly too.

Shrinkage: 

Average weight uncooked - 85g

Average weight cooked - 69g

Shrinkage - 19%

Value For Money:

£2.33 for four sausages, weighing 340g - this works out as a price of £6.85 per kg, or 58p per snorker.

A decent price for a sausage that did exactly what I was told it would, and left me pleasantly surprised.  Good value for money.

Through A Child’s Eyes:

The Junior Sidekick was only on duty for the cold tasting, so.....

The Imaginatively Titled Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

Just as good cold as hot.  The texture is still decent, combining a nice moist feel with the fall-apart-ness (good word) that I liked yesterday.  My Junior Sidekick was VERY impressed.  I held aloft the index finger of each hand and told him “This one is if the sausage is the worst you have ever tasted, and this one is for the best....” then slowly moved the “worst” finger towards the other, waiting for Sam to stop me at the desired point.  He didn’t stop me.  I asked if he was sure, and he confirmed....”This sausage is perfect.”  His words, not mine.

Opening Hours:

Monday: 0900 - 1730

Tuesday: 0900 - 1730

Wednesday: 0900 - 1730

Thursday: 0900 - 1730

Friday: 0900 - 1730

Saturday: 0900 - 1700

Sunday: 1000 - 1600

And Finally, Esther:

When my plate was empty I wanted more, which has to be a significant pointer, and I was extremely tempted to raid the fridge for the “next day cold” samples immediately.  Michael’s modest description of his product almost implies a lower quality but this is absolutely not the case.  I’ll be back.

Win Redhill Farm Sausages!

In honour of British Sausage Week 2012 (November 5 to 11), Rate My Sausage is offering THREE lucky readers the chance to win two packs of fabulous Redhill Farm Free Range Pork sausages (one pack of Lincolnshire sausages and one pack of Pork & Apple sausages each).  It could hardly be easier....

Simply answer this question: “Which variety of Redhill Farm Free Range Pork sausages always sell out first at farmers' markets?”  Is it:

a. Pork & Real Ale Sausages

b. Lincolnshire Sausages

c. Pork & Apple Sausages

Hint: You may find the answer somewhere in the sausages section of Redhill Farm’s website:  

http://www.redhillfarm.com/

1.  Send an email to sausage-blog@live.com

2.  Put "Redhill" in the subject line

3.  Tell us the answer (a,b, or c), your first name, initial of your surname, and the county you live in.

4  That's it!

Conditions:

Only one entry per email address, open to UK residents only.  Entries must be received on or before November 11, emails received after that date will not be entered in the draw.  The winners will be chosen at random from all correct entries at noon on Monday 12 November, and we will contact you by email on that date.  Winners must reply within 96 hours, otherwise the prize will be offered to another randomly chosen correct entrant.

Good luck!

Friday Sausage News - Lincoln Sausage Festival 2012

Lincoln Sausage Festival 2012 takes place on Saturday 27 October.  As well as a multitude of great sausages and family-based entertainment, WE WILL BE THERE (along with about 150 other family members....) maybe we'll see you there....

Read all about it here on the This Is Lincolnshire website:

LINCOLNSHIRE-SAUSAGE-FESTIVAL

See you there!



Edis - Ely - Pork & Leek Sausage

Oh, how sad to come to the end of our Ely odyssey.  We are ending on a high note though, with a return visit to Edis Quality Butchers which you can find on High Street in this pretty cathedral city.  The boys behind the counter were way too busy for me to consider interrupting for a chat, thus causing their customers a slower service, so I can’t share any gossip or snippets on this occasion.  In 2010 we road-tested their Premium Pork variety, which we liked a lot (“A man’s sausage!”) and rated as good value for money - EDIS-PREMIUM-PORK.  This time around we plumped for the tempting Pork & Leek bangers.

Ah, pork and leek, a great match of flavours, and a good combination for a sausage.  Believe it or not, Rate My Sausage has only reviewed one other Pork & Leek in our entire history.  When we wrote about SYCAMORE-FARM-PORK-AND-LEEK sausage early in 2011 I intended to sample more versions, but never did – until now.  Why The Heck Not?  I can’t answer that, but expect to see more of these butcher’s staples in the future. 

I am guessing that it’s no coincidence that so many meat-mongers offer a pork and leek sausage?  Why not, say, pork and broccoli?  Or cauliflower?  Or turnip?  Decades of trial and error I suspect.  Googling these four random combinations offers the following number of hits:

Pork & Leek Sausage – 2,920,000

Pork & Broccoli Sausage – 6,960,000

Pork & Cauliflower Sausage – 3,600,000

Pork & Turnip Sausage – 1,230,000

Which is an odd result and the opposite of that expected....pork and broccoli in a banger?  That’s as left-field an idea as pork and raspberry (3,690,000)....anyway, enough of that old squit, let’s rate some sausages!

Meat Content:

The meat is actually rather good but Edis encourage it to slip into the background to join forces with the leek and put on a united front.  They’ve done well in that respect, it must be tempting to make the very most of such a fine ingredient, so the restraint and judgement in allowing a Mere Vegetable (shock, horror) to share the limelight is praiseworthy.

Flavour:

My notes start with “WOW-WEE!!!”  My first reaction to these delicious bangers was emphatic, capitalised, and had three exclamation marks, and was followed with “light, fresh, great match of flavours”.  Yum yum, Edis have put together an extremely tasty product, complete with a sneaky, back of the mouth hint of heat – but I don’t think it’s anything peppery.  More likely to be the natural slightly tangy flavour of the allium family of vegetables, onions and such.  The flavour is not only instantly enjoyable but also very, very more-ish.  They also seem to taste slightly less “unhealthy” than many other sausages, more delicate, maybe the presence of the greenery plays tricks on your brain.  Sweet pork and the counterpoint of the leek, good work chaps.

Texture:

Squeak and Snap, two unusual words to apply to sausages, but regular readers or fellow sausage lovers will recognise them as most welcome in any review.  The “squeak”, of course, refers to the moist mouth-watering pork meat on offer and the sensation you feel when you bite into it, and the “snap” to the natural casings, splitting satisfyingly apart to let the hungry diner dive in.  The filling is initially firm but more fluid when you cut or push, which is maybe not surprising bearing in mind that leeks are composed predominantly of water (83% on average, to be precise).

Shrinkage: 

Average weight uncooked - 86g

Average weight cooked - 72g

Shrinkage - 17%

17% ranks Edis’ Pork & Leek bangers at 8 out of 28 so far this year in the shrinking stakes, so that’s a decent performance....again, good work chaps.

Value For Money:

£2.88 for four sausages, weighing 345g - this works out as a price of £8.36 per kg, or 72p per snorker.

I was delighted with the delicate and delicious flavour contained in Edis’ latest sausages, so bearing in mind the price and the fact that Pork & Leek is my new best friend I’d rate these as Very Good Value For Money.

The Bisto Factor:

Negligible aroma from the kitchen during cooking, but blimey O’Reilly, when you first cut into one the wonderful fragrance is an absolute treat that triples the appetite and expectation in an instant.  Irresistible.

The Imaginatively Titled Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

I was impressed with these sausages last night but they’ve just gone supersonic.  Straight out of the fridge these are pure planks of porky perfection.  I didn’t accompany with any sauces or dips and I’m very pleased I didn’t – I’ve discovered an indulgent, decadent, meaty mecca.  The pork has knit together compactly, while the leek still frolics and flirts around the edges.  Edis of Ely, I Salute You!

Opening Hours:

Monday: 0900 - 1700

Tuesday: 0900 – 1400 (half day closing in Ely)

Wednesday: 0900 - 1700

Thursday: 0900 - 1700

Friday: 0900 - 1700

Saturday: 0800 - 1700

Sunday: Closed

And Finally, Esther:

Why, oh why, oh why have I not tried more pork and leek sausages?  I want more, More, MORE!  I think you may be seeing them regularly in the future....

British Sausage Week 2012

British Sausage Week 2012 is nearly here!  This year's Sausage Week Celeb is none other than the Pub Landlord himself, Al Murray, and I bet he likes a banger or two.  Al has launched a series of sausage-based recipes created especially for this year's event, which you can find here:  AL'S-RECIPES


Here at Rate My Sausage we're joining in with the promotion of all that's good in British sausages by trying out a different Al Murray recipe every day from 5 to 9 November, using some of the best sausages we've gathered from some great makers.


We're also about to run a great new competition with three prizes on offer, each consisting of two packs of sausages from Redhill Farm Free Range Pork - this will start on 29 October with the winner being announced on Saturday 6 November....


Here's the latest press release from the British Sausage Appreciation Society:


"Stand Up for British Bangers during
BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK 2012
STARTS WITH A BANG ON 5TH NOVEMBER
What: British Sausage Week 2012
When: Monday 5th November to Sunday 12th November 2012
Where: Nationwide
Who: Organised by the British Sausage Appreciation Society


We Brits love our bangers and for good reason, we have much to be proud of! And in this very patriotic year, we’re asking everyone to Stand Up for British Bangers during British Sausage Week and join in the celebration of quality sausages, such as those identified by the Red Tractor on pack. Launching on the 5th of November, British Sausage Week will add an extra special bang to Bonfire night too.


Now in its incredible 15th year, British Sausage Week aims to highlight via its national competition the sheer range and quality of sausages being produced today. At the last count there were over 470 varieties! In fact it’s official - sausages are the nation’s favourite meaty dinner, outselling chicken or minced beef and accounting for a staggering 864 million meals every year.
And among the nation’s biggest banger fans are some of the country’s most celebrated figures including the likes of Noddy Holder, Craig Revel-Horwood, Christine Hamilton, Phil Tufnell, Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee and Dickie Bird. In September 2012, the British Sausage Appreciation Society will reveal the new “King of the Sizzle” – a true British icon.


The face of British Sausage Week will be touring the country, as part of the British Sausage Week Stand Up for British Bangers Tour, from the 5th November to uncover the nation’s best bangers and dishing out the highly sought-after British Sausage Week awards to the worthy winners of the annual competition.


The competition is open to experts from local butchers, supermarkets, brands, school cooks, and chefs, who all know what makes a truly top banger, and this year British Sausage Week will award the nation’s sausages that make us proud. Launching in August 2012, there will be a winner in each region, plus trophies for supermarkets, pubs and brands.


To celebrate British Sausage Week, independent butchers and supermarkets alike will be running events and special offers to help us make the most of this great value family food. Do look out for special sausage themed menus in local pubs and restaurants. For those looking to experiment with sausages at home, the British Sausage Appreciation Society will be launching their new and exclusive recipe booklet, ‘Stand up for British Bangers’.


We’re also asking shoppers to stand up for quality bangers during the week by looking for the Red Tractor label when shopping. It’s a mark of quality assurance that you’ll find on pack. This ensures that your sausages have been produced to exacting quality control and welfare standards. That way of course you will also be supporting the very farmers who uphold them."

    Keep frying!

Friday Sausage News - English Football Manager Opens New Butcher

Don't you just hate it when you turn up to open a new hospital wing, day centre, or butchers shop, and someone's forgotten to provide The Ribbon....happens to me all the time.  Well it didn't phase the manager of Derby County, mister Nigel Clough, as you can read in this Derby Telegraph article:

FOOTBALL-MANAGER-OPENS-SHOP

Holbrook Meat Company can be found in Chapel Street, Derby, or you can find out a little more about them on their Facebook page: HOLBROOK-MEAT-SHOP

Miserable Frenchie Market Trader - Ely Farmers Market - Toulouse Sausage

La Belle France!  Home of Voltaire, Joan of Arc, Claude Monet, Rene Artois, and the language of love.  On my trip to Ely Farmers Market I was intrigued to find a visiting French market too, so I had to indulge in a sample of their sausage – and that means Toulouse.  We’ve rated Toulouse sausages before, and usually liked them quite a lot, especially that of the Fruitpig Company, which is the only sausage that has inspired me to poetry:  REVIEW-AND-POEM .  So all was looking good for the Entente Cordiale....right up to the point that I actually had to interact with Jacques (made-up name) the sausage seller (lucky number 1914 and 1939, star sign Le Coquin, “The Cock”).

The sausage was rather expensive, and the Frenchie behind the counter gruffly demanded “Two twenty”, without a please or a s’il vous plait in sight.  Bad manners is a national characteristic of the french, so I attempted to make a joke of it.  I rifled my pockets and found that I had exactly £2.19 in loose change – offered it in an outstretched palm and asked “Two nineteen for cash?”

“Two twenty.” 

No please, no hint of humour, just surly bad attitude.

Now I’m a very easy-going young man, but this really riled me.  I paid up and left grumpy frenchie behind, pondering why his forebears hadn’t displayed such stubborn-ness in 1914 or 1940.  This isn’t the first example of modern frenchies showing a vastly greater degree of combativeness than their grand-peres of course....

Mind you, he’s not the only one....

In Cantona’s case he was probably hoping to wind up in a P.O.W camp for the next few years, out of the firing line, instead he was simply banned from playing football for nine months.  But can you blame him?  Things generally go wrong when Les Frogs go into battle, especially against us English....a quick scan of some latest results reveals....roll vide-printer....

Battle of Crecy (1346) – Dead Frenchies 8,000, Dead Englishmen 300 (at most)

Battle of Agincourt (1415) – Dead Frenchies 10.000, Dead Englishmen 112

Battle of Waterloo (1815) – Dead frenchies 40,000, Dead Englishmen 3,500

Waterloo was an improved performance by the cheese-eating surrender monkeys, but marked the final time that Les Bleus would actually stand and fight in any meaningful way to defend their country.  Instead they determined to take on their bogey side England “by proxy”, and equip England’s enemies with the arms and ammunition needed to take a cowardly sucker-punch at their old adversary.  French-made Exocet missiles, carried by French-made Mirage jets, were responsible for the vast majority of British losses during the Falklands conflict in 1982. 

At least the french are more successful when it comes to creative activities, and have produced some half-decent artists and poets in their time.  The architecture is generally easy on the eye, but labour costs are extortionate due to the punitive tax regime in place – indeed the only thing that goes up faster than French taxes is a French soldier’s hands in battle.  And despite the misleading myth that French roads are lined with trees to make them look more attractive, the real reason is so that German soldiers can march on them in the shade.

It’s not all bad for France.  Their national anthem is my favourite of all the world’s anthems.  Shame that their national costume of stripey shirt, beret and mask makes them look like camp burglars.  But enough of this historically accurate examination of the country, how did Monsieur Morose’s sausage rate?

Meat Content:

Unknown.  The stall signage didn’t tell and there was no point asking the stroppy patron.  The sausage was solid though, so there was definitely meat present, although it may not have been pork I guess?  If this was indeed horsemeat then it was definitely carved from a rocking horse, dense and thick.  Not too bad.  But super-solid, bound together firmer than Old Man Steptoe’s lower colon after an omelette for breakfast.

Flavour:

Quite juicy despite the lack of pull-apart-ability.  Garlic-y, d’accord, but not as in your face as I’d expected.  Richly herby, many flavours try to push to the forefront, giving a “quite nice” overall taste.  Not totally hee-hawful.

Texture:

Very dense, very solid, extremely log-like.  Not easy to stick a fork in!

Shrinkage: 

Average weight uncooked - 178g

Average weight cooked - 134g

Shrinkage - 25%

A monster of a thing uncooked, and still huge afterwards.  Losing a quarter of paid-for weight is never a good thing though.

Value For Money:

£2.20 for ONE sausage, weighing 178g - this works out as a price of £12.00 per kg, and of course £2.20 per snorker.  Absolutely BLOODY AWFUL value for money, AVOID AT ALL COSTS.

And Finally, Esther:

Another well-balanced Rate My Sausage review added to the archives.  Next week, Pork & Leek from Edis of Ely....

Friday Sausage News - Screw Found In Morrisons Sausage!

Here's a story featuring supermarket giant Morrison's Thick Pork Sausages....actually, according to their packaging they are called "Pork Thick Sausages", somewhat ridiculously.  We reviewed them earlier this year and found them to be Absolutely Bloody Awful - read for yourself: Morrisons-Review


So when we heard that they are now including an extra ingredient in them, it just had to be good news right?

Wrong.  A Dad in Preston bit into the new ingredient - a metal screw - and his story made headlines in the Lancashire Evening Post:

Dad-Finds-Screw-In-Morrisons-Sausage

YUK!  Avoid....

W Rayment - Ely - Norfolk Pork Sausage

Rayment was the first butcher I found when I first visited Ely back in 2010, and we reviewed their   Traditional-Pork  sausages, finding them herby, meaty and excellent value for money – could their Norfolk variety match up?  I introduced myself when I walked in and was alarmed to see a crispy, yellowing copy of the original review produced from under the counter!  Checking that my exit route to the door was clear in case the next below-counter surprise was a finely honed meat cleaver with my name on it, I tentatively asked if I could run another review.  “Of course you can” was the reply, leading to immediate blood pressure reduction and significant sphincter readjustment.  Phew!

Everybody has heard of the famous Lincolnshire sausage, right?  Of course they have!  But Norfolk is a very important county for the production of top quality pork, so why isn’t there a Norfolk sausage?  Well, there is!  And you can find them on sale at W Rayment in Ely.  Enigmatic boss Lawrence (star sign Cancer, lucky number 3) was behind the counter when I recently visited, as part of my Ely Farmers Market expedition in August, and he filled me in on the whys and wherefores of the whole Norfolk Sausage story.  To cut a long story short the recipe was designed by “old school legend Derek” (Lawrence’s words, not mine) as an attempt to invent a banger worthy of the title. 

Are the sausages up to the task?  Read on to find out.  And, whatever you do, do NOT ask Lawrence if all women are the same, or whether there’s a wife number four on the horizon - that meat cleaver may yet be raised in furious anger!

Meat Content:

Listed as 68%, tastes more.  The pork is flavoursome in a slightly different way – it tastes.....hot and sweaty, like pork straight out of the piggy gym (that isn’t meant as a criticism by the way).  It’s juicy and there’s plenty of chunkiness to satisfy your carnivorous cravings.  I didn’t find any “dodgy” bits either, which is slightly disappointing for Rate My Sausage but good news for the more normal sausage-buying public.

Flavour:

Have a quick look at the uncooked sausages, and note the abundance of different coloured flecks lurking under the skin.  I was expecting herby, spicy yumminess judging by the pre-cooked look, and this was backed up by the way that the individual slices appeared.  I wasn’t disappointed.  Lawrence and his crew are trying to create a variation on the Lincolnshire recipe and they’ve done a pretty damn good job with their Norfolk Pork Sausages.  This banger is warm and well designed, with a tasty combination of seasoning and a delightful slap of heat to boot, and were just the job after a very soggy afternoon on the allotment.

Texture:

Quite small cut, unlike the stereotype Lincolnshire recipe, but when you probe and push the individual pieces they separate very nicely and obediently.  If you keep a slice in your mouth for a few moments the texture comes into its own and you can taste and feel the component parts splitting apart and delivering a lovely sausage-eating experience.  And, as a bonus, different slices give you slight variations in texture when you eat – very good!

Shrinkage: 

Average weight uncooked - 94g

Average weight cooked - 81g

Shrinkage - 14%

What a fine statistic for Rayments, big bangers before and after visiting the pan.  Good work Lawrence and Derek, keep it up!

Value For Money:

£2.38 for four sausages, weighing 375g - this works out as a price of £6.35 per kg, or 60p per snorker.  That’s not a low price, but then again, these aren’t bad sausages – rated as Good value for money.

Through A Child’s Eyes:

Junior Sidekick not on duty.

The Imaginatively Titled Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

I kept half of the largest sausage in the fridge until the next day – which probably weighed as much as two and a half “regular” samples.  And yay, I did slice the banger into many pieces, And It Was Good.  Biblically good, chilled solidly into paving slabs full of guilty flavour.  You just Have to try these cold!

Opening Hours:

Mea culpa, I didn’t note the opening times.  What a plum.  I heartily recommend a visit though, so you may be well advised to call beforehand to check that they’re open.  The number is 01353 662900.

And Finally, Esther:

Variation from slice to slice?  Check.  Erupted ends?  Check.  Excellent candidate to be used as a template for a “Norfolk Pork” sausage?  Check.  I couldn’t really criticise these sausages, and you should buy some soon to see if you agree with me.

Thank you Lawrence and team for a most enjoyable visit, hope to return soon!

Friday Sausage News - Ardennes Sausage Awarded Protected Geographic Status

OK, I am confused....saucisson d'Ardenne has been granted protected geographic indication (PGI) status.  Nothing wrong with that, in itself?


What confuses me is why, if a Belgian sausage can gain PGI, can't our very own Lincolnshire Sausage obtain the same status?  It stinks.


You can read the full story, courtesy of the Daily Telegraph, here:

Saucisson-d'Ardenne-Awarded-PGI-Status

Rate My Sausage is proud to promote great British products, and the sooner that the Lincolnshire Sausage is awarded PGI, the better, as this means that huge multi-national beasts such as Tossco won't be able to sell inferior imitations.

Please show your support for the Lincolnshire Sausage - you can make a start by visiting the website of the Lincolnshire Sausage Association:

Lincolnshire-Sausage-Association

Power To The People!

Bent & Cornwell - Ely - Jim's Pork Sausage

Week three of the Ely series, and we’re back at the welcoming market place door of a previously rated sausage-monger, Bent & Cornwell.  And who should we find behind the counter, but the lovely, fragrant Linda (star sign Taurus, lucky number 3), who served us last time....continuity of staff, must be a good thing.  As per last visit Linda was very camera shy and wouldn’t pose for a pic, but she’s super-friendly, and always happy to share a bit of a natter.  While Linda was serving another customer one of the back-room boys sidled up and offered me a candid photo of her in a leather coat – wooo-wee, that’s way too saucy for us!

In 2010 their Cambridgeshire Pork sausage was on the menu, and here’s that review should you be interested: Cambridgeshire-Pork  They were not champion bangers but still far superior to supermarket mush....how will Jim’s Pork sausages fare?  With regard to the impact of the Farmers’ Market on business, Bent & Cornwell told me that they neither benefit nor lose out, as an older clientele visits when the market is on, compared to a slightly younger demographic at other times.  Good news.

Meat Content:

Quoted at 80% by the lovely Linda, after consultation with a couple of the butcher boys lurking in the background.  And there’s certainly meat here, but it’s not that prominent, seeming to hunker down behind the seasoning.  A million times better than Richmonds, but they would benefit, in my humble opinion, by letting the pork sing out louder and prouder.  There are absolutely no additives in these sausages so either use them quickly or stick them in the freezer as soon as you arrive home.

Flavour:

The origin of the name of Jim’s Pork sausages is unmysterious – Jim was the Boss’ dad, and he invented the recipe, “back in the day”.  That was more than likely quite a long time ago which may account for the more traditional and somewhat unsurprising flavour on offer.  Jim obviously likes sage and these are very sagey!  Which isn’t a bad thing in itself.  It’s a warm and rich flavour, pleasant and not headline-making.  A retro banger, with a cosy, slightly spicy vibe.

Texture:

Rather good.  A nice coarse cut that binds together determinedly until you delve inside.  You can see the individual bits and bobs, nuggets of meat, some fattiness (good thing, by the way), and the seasoning.  Push it with your fork and it squeezes salaciously between the tines.

Shrinkage: 

Average weight uncooked - 56g

Average weight cooked - 46g

Shrinkage - 18%

Good numbers for Jim’s recipe, maybe the age of the recipe has something to do with this?  Who knows?

Value For Money:

£1.43 for four sausages , weighing 225g - this works out as a price of £6.37 per kg, or 36p per snorker.  All things considered I must rate Bent & Cornwell’s Jim’s Pork Sausages as Good value for money.

The Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

Didn’t have any left, sorry....maybe that in itself is a good recommendation?

And Finally, Esther:

A decent little sausage, which I’d happily eat regularly, if I was a native of Ely.