Tuesday 2 February 2010

Richmond's Fresh Thick Sausage


 
The second dip of the toe into the retail sausage market. Richmond’s are a ubiquitous low-price sausage that you’ll find nearly everywhere.


I wasn‘t overly impressed.
 
Even their website is suspiciously banal and lacking in interest: RICHMONDS




Meat Content:
42%. That’s right, Forty. Two. Percent. Dear sausage fan, please allow me to take you back a couple of weeks in this blog’s history, to a link contained in the review of Sainsburys-Taste-The-Difference . It was a great piece by Felicity Lawrence and if you didn’t read it first time, here’s another chance: Backfat-Article . The absolute relevance of this article to Richmond’s meat tubes struck me like a sledgehammer. 42% - I’ve seen that somewhere else……if you can’t be arsed clicking the link, Felicity wrote “The food standards agency has proposed new rules to require clearer labelling of meat content, so that added fat, offal, gristle and rind would have to be separately identified and shoppers could tell more easily what they are getting. The move has been welcomed by consumer groups but they are also worried. The proposals will lower the legal minimum meat content, so that pork sausages would only have to contain 42% meat as newly defined.” So it appears that the Richmonds are adhering - to the decimal point - to the new rule.


Flavour:
Average. Well, actually, NOT average. These tasted like the kind of thing that Generic Family Gastro Pub Chain offers as part of the Kids’ Sausage, Chips & Beans meal, £1.49. Not actually unpleasant, but not in the same postcode as most of the sausages tested already. Not even on the same continent.





Texture:
A bit mushy. Not that firm. Rather under-chunky. The filling could be cut through using a strand of cooked spaghetti.. The casing however….Ladies And Gentlemen Of The Jury! I refer you once again to the Expert Witness Statement of Felicity Lawrence! Check back yet again to her article if you want to, but here is the telling portion: “sugar in the form of dextrose to make them go brown when cooked”. I think she’s, once again, hit the nail on the head. Check out the photo of the Cooked Richmonds. They are all, uniformly, brown. Now check the photos of all the other sausages. They are NOT uniformly brown. Every sausage has been cooked in the same way, and I believe that “all the others” are a more accurate reflection of…..sausage-ness???….than the Richmonds. Felicity seems to be spot on, they must have dextrose, or something very similar, to make them turn such an obvious over-brown colour, reminiscent of a Wisbech granny on a night out at Doctor Thirsty‘s. Sure, it cooked to a decently semi-tough skin that gave that nice feeling under the knife, but it’s a hollow claim for praise.


Shrinkage:
Average weight uncooked - 57g
Average weight cooked - 39g

Shrinkage - 32%
 

Value For Money:
£1.97 per pack, weighing 454g - this works out as a price of £4.34 per kg, or 25p per snorker. Cheap. You gets what you pays for.
 


67 comments:

Z said...

Interesting to notice that Wilfred's sausages contain more than double the meat but are not double the price. And I'm rather revolted by the thought of the 10% slurry that is composed of added water and fat.

Affer said...

Brilliant stuff! Can I make a suggestion? I like the idea of £/snorker, but I also like the idea of £/lb after cooking. I reckon that, with 30-something% shrinkage, some of these 'cheap' chaps aren't so cheap....

Percy Weiper said...

I very much like the smaller sausage. Especially what we call the 'Nurnberger'. very tasty.

Rate My Sausage said...

Welcome Percy!

Thanks for visiting, and keep on checking the site - the Sausage World Cup 2010 will involve Germany!

Anonymous said...

good stuff, as a UK national now an expat in mid east (previously also far east) its been a nightmare getting proper sausages at a reasonable price. In the UAE ive now seen Richmonds and Walls but still over twice UK prices, in the meantime i will be drooling over the pics on your site!

Anonymous said...

I have just had to go to hospital due entirely to these sausages.....I didn't eat anything else and broke out in massive rash, bright red face and had to get medical help. Dr said what did you eat? So had to rush home and get label to bring to hospital.
Could have eaten anything, when you read the label!!
6 hrs in hospital. ....and now ok. No more Richmond sausages for me! Found this site when I went looking to see if anyone else has had a problem?

George Daniel said...

Absolutely disgusting mush. Sent my 9yr old son to village shop and £2.49 later he came back with a pack of Richmond sausages (pre priced pack), so you get what you pay for argument doesn't exactly work. I really do not see how they can be sold as sausages. Simply revolting, ended up giving them to the dogs, although even they should not have to eat them. Nothing good or cheap about these sausages.

George Daniel said...

This must be one of the most revolting things I have ever eaten. Not completely surprising when you look at the ingredients. 42% 'pork' is just a ludicously low meat content, especially when the pack was pre priced at £2.49.

Unfortunately these were the only sausages left in the village shop when my 9 yr old went breakfast shopping on Sunday, so these are what he bought back with him. I felt obliged to cook them up because of the cost and effort involved in the purchase. I only managed to eat half of one.

It was spongy, mushy, and very unsausagey. It really was quite vile.

£2.49 should be premium sausage money. I even felt guilty about giving them to my dogs because they were so disgusting. The truth is sausages such as these should be allowed to be sold for consumption by anybody, whether they are human or dog.

Their website says :

Richmond is synonymous with the highest quality bangers — gracing tables up and down the country at teatime. We're as proud of Richmond sausages today as we've ever been — their unmatched quality has stood the test of time and they'll be a family favourite for years to come.

I have never heard such a load of complete and utter rubbish.

The description on the pack is just as misleading: 'Delicious'? - Haha I don't think so!

Would certainly not reccomend.

Anonymous said...

I had a pack of these last night as they were the only brand in our local shop. Absolutely vile. I'm no food snob but I can still taste that cloying cheap and nasty flavour today. They had a horrible thin and pureed texture too. Avoid at all costs.

Anonymous said...

My wife and I are in our late seventies and have been enjoying both sizes of Richmond sausages for over 20 years. We have never been rushed to hospital as a result of eating them, nor suffered any side effects apart from the pleasure of their taste and texture. Let others make their derogatory comments, which we shall ignore.

Unknown said...

I've seen these "sausages" in shops for years and have never been tempted. However, yesterday I saw these (thick sausages) on sale for £1.80 for 2 packs of eight, and I though "what the hell, that's decent value"...

What a mistake that was! They were truly awful, lacking any texture or decent flavour; so bad in fact of the 3 I cooked one and a bit were left uneaten. As for the others, well it looks like they'll end up in a casserole, if I can bring myself to put them anywhere near my mouth ever again of course...

Rate My Sausage said...

Hi Simon (great name) and welcome to RMS. And you're spot on with the Richmonds - truly disgusting. But we HAVE found something worse - details coming soon.....

Unknown said...

Something worse than Richmond's? Well I did see some "Tulip" sausages that were apparently 33% pork content...

Could these be the ones you mean?

Rate My Sausage said...

Yes, even worse than the bloody awful Richmonds. Not Tulip, I have seen those too and will review them one day....

Selkie said...

Terrible. I bought a pack of these to make sausage sandwiches with, because they were on offer and I'm unemployed. Ironically, they're not cheap. They're massively overpriced since they aren't worth paying money for.

They were not great grilled, but I tried frying a couple....ugh. There's so little meat in there they don't want to cook. I ended up having to slice them lengthways, which obviousl left them hardened.....but it was that or pink meat. Next time I'll spend a bit more on some cumberlands.

Dreadful, do not buy, would not feed to dogs.

Anonymous said...

I used to love Richmond Thick sausages until I saw the Freaky Eaters programme Addicted to Sausages, I cannot get the pictures of pig snout and other gristle ingredients out of my head. I now find it impossible to eat sausages at all, the pork percentage doesn't mean ALL pork meat and until they clarify the pork ingredients it's off my menu.

Michael said...

I tried Richmond sausages about 3 years ago. They were, without doubt, the worst sausages I have ever tasted. It was like a sausage skin filled with some soggy kind of meat slurry. Utterly disgusting.

Unknown said...

They sell Richmond fat sausages in Poundland (pack of 6, for obviously a quid. I only eat sausages rarely then get them from the local butchers, made on the premises for £2.95 for 6

Unknown said...

My son choked on a piece of disgusting stringy thick flesh which was the full length of the sausage . I have kept it and wish to send it back but can I find a contact address ?If anyone has it please add to the blog
Thanks

Anonymous said...

Thank God, i thought it was just us that hated them - absolutely tasteless and no discernable texture. (Or Horrible and over-rated, as the wife puts it!)

Anonymous said...

Great I have long had an issue with these terrible products. If you dry fry one of these sausages in a pan you get to see just how much fat is actually in them! I now prefer to spend a little more and never buy sausages with less with 80% meat.

leighporter said...

I've always wondered if people actually like Richmond sausages. Does anybody know somebody who actually likes them?

Lady Stardust said...

Is it normal that those things look white when supposedly cooked? I just had some. I fried them at a high temperature, cut them, they looked white inside but I believe I never saw a hint of pink in them. Ate them and they tasted like puree, not like sausage. Is this normal or am I going to get food poisoning?

Anonymous said...

If a sausage has less than 42% it's not all allowed to be call a sausage

Christine said...

I bought them as I am on a budget and thought they would be ok But they taste of nothing and the texture is mushy like reconstituted meat or hot dog texture........Yuck Yuck and triple Yuck.
Id rather be vegetarian than have to eat these; it would be more more tasty.
Never buying them again,

Anonymous said...

Richmond Sausages are a waste of time... They taste of well, nothing.

Unknown said...

My wife bought some Richmond sausages last week. I love sausages but I only managed to eat two out of the pack and just threw the rest away. Utterly disgusting. Won't make that mistake again.

Anonymous said...

I used to work for the company that produces this so called sausage. NOBODY I worked with in this organisation would dream of purchasing said product!

Anonymous said...

I just cooked some Richmond sausages but my wife and I found them revolting.I knew something was up when the insides stayed pink no matter what I did to them. I won't be buying again.

Anonymous said...

And how do you feel about the cruel conditions that pigs are kept in to make these cheap, nasty "sausages"? I guess you won't care about that either.

Anonymous said...

I love them!

SJNM said...

My Dad is a big fan of these sausages, which is a shame since the smell of them is enough to make me nauseous.

Nasty, vile, cheap things, with an appalling odour, unpleasant mushy texture, and strange flavour.

Avoid!

Chris said...

Used to like Richmond sausage until they changed the texture.....now it's nasty and mushy ! My favourite used to be Palethorpes many years ago, now I can't find any that I enjoy :-(

timmy said...

My gf insists on eating these disgusting things. I bought a good solid hand mincer to make our own yet she will not touch a proper sausage. After a dry fry as above you really see the horror. The E numbers break down so the water dissociates it's self from the binding agent as does the fat leaving you with a husk of "stuff"? you really can't call it a sausage.

If i buy sausages i aim for something like Debbie and Andrews should the butcher not be an option for whatever reason. I am surprised there are any positive comments on this brand at all even after accounting for difference in tastes however.

p.s. Good blog :-)

Rate My Sausage said...

You're obviously a man with impressive good taste!

And thanks, it's a tough job, etc....

Craig said...

Worst sausage I've ever tasted. No substance, just mush, no taste, I'm going to throw the rest of the packed away.

Anonymous said...

About 10 years ago I bought some, they were so bad, just mush and no taste I wrote to Kerry Foods telling them what I thought, mentioning slush, mush and no taste. I received no apology only 2 letters containing £7 and £5 vouchers for RICHMOND sausages. Needless to say I tore them up and I do spread the word about this crap to others,
I wouldn't feed this rubbish to my dog, he is too precious.
Buy from your butchers and know what you are getting.

Anonymous said...

Thought we would give them a go, but the worst I've ever had in 56 yrs. Can't see how they are still trading, who on earth is buying these things.

Anonymous said...

So ive read all this and thought id come to a conclusion.
But now it seems that all the comments are rubbish, once again its the extreme vegatarian leaving all the comments.
Sad tits

Anonymous said...

I love a good Richmond raw out of the packet,lovley soft textured filling with a soft velvet skin wrap.

Unknown said...

For what it's worth I've been eating Richmonds for as long as I can remember - I keep trying other options off the shelves and butchers 'specials' off the market BUT I simply prefer the taste and texture of Richmonds .

Unknown said...

Well I love Richmonds sausages- if you want to talk about disgusting tastes try Walls !!

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Anonymous said...

This entire blog is FILLED with people who are SO far up their own arse they can taste the back of their own throat, these sausages are fine, they taste great and bring back memories of childhood. Im cooking some up right now!

P.S Cumberland sausages are stringy, too chewy and taste terrible, you bunch of posh snobs.

Unknown said...

Went to my local corner shop that normally has some fresh sausage from a local firm that are quite nice, sadly sold out so i foolishly bought a pack of these, oh my God, they are absolutely revolting and only resemble a real sausage in their shape, they are so foul,God only know what vile sludge goes into them?

Drifter753 said...

How can they claim that these tubes of tasteless slurry are "the nation's favourite sausage"? Surely this is in contravention of Trades Description
and Advertising Standards legislation?

I tend to shop in a Sainsbury's Local just around the corner from me and I see these evil imitations of sausages on sale at £2.45. They are more expensive than Sainsbury's premium own-brand "Taste the Difference" sausages and taste worse than Sainsbury's "basic" sausages (which have both flavour and texture)

Martin S said...

You could have given them away rather than tearing them up in a rage?

Anonymous said...

What proof does this company have that Richmond Sausages are 'the nation's favourite'?

Unknown said...

I am confident that British folk have a far better sense of taste than to warrant these vile offerings being Britains favorite brand? they rank in my book as being the most vile of sausages,God only knows what goes into them?

Anonymous said...

I actually really like them (in the right time and place).
They are really grim for sure if you compare them to a good quality meaty sausage. However for a hang over cure they are second to none..

Anonymous said...

Are some of these comments for real. Everybody i know loves the taste of richmonds. I think there is certainly some right snobs on here. I dont know anybody who has been rushed to hospital because of these sausages for crying out loud.

Rate My Sausage said...

Note from the writers - Yes, all the comments here are genuine and posted by people who have an opinion on these disgusting "sausages". Why would I need to make anything up when the unsolicited comments are so damning already?

And as you can read, we publish both negative and positive comments.

Amelia said...

Yet another shopper who cannot believe this sausage is sold as food. The worst thing I have ever eaten. Tasteless sludge that made me feel sick for the rest of the evening. I shall be contacting Sainsburys to ask why they sell such junk.

Unknown said...

Re the poster wondering why there are so many negative comments... A sausage website is likely to be frequented by people who appreciate the fine porker, and recognise the difference between a pork sausage and Richmond's mechanically-recovered pulp.

Unknown said...

Re Nations Favourite Sausage, read Nations Cheapest Sausage. If a quarter of the nation can only afford the cheapest "meat" on sale, it's bound to outsell the dozens of brands that actually contain a decent amount of non-pureed pork.

Unknown said...

You know what i absolutely love Richmond sausages especially the skinless ones, they have always been my preference, and as it happens i live a stones throw away from mr moors shop on linacre road liverpool and for those that don't know he was the original makes of these sausages. Maybe that has something to do with me liking them, anyway i must say I've had a highly amusing time reading all the negative comments.

Anonymous said...

I;ve lived in Germany for many years. I was a butcher when I lived in England, we made are own sausages.A friend visited me last week, and brought me a packet of Richmonds thin pork sausages. I must say they were disgusting. Shame on you Richmond, for selling this crap to the public. Would never buy or eat, or recommend these sausages to anybody. totally disgusting.

Unknown said...

I love these sausages.I dont agree with your comments.I do not like sausages with hard pieces no matter how expensive. You talk as if you were prejudiced before you cooked them you SNOB

Drifter753 said...

In reply to the comment from "Unknown" on 17th June 2020:
You like what you like, I like what I like. Does that make me a snob because I have different tastes to you?
Or does it make you look a right dipstick for making the comment?

MICHAEL FINCH said...

I firmly believe we are all entitled to express our varied tastes and likes and dislikes, without some nitwit calling us a snob just because our tastes don't concur with theirs? if you are happy with Richmond or Walls sausages (both made by the Kerry foods group) that's fine by me, me personally having worked as a butcher in my youth for one of the most famous sausage makers in the West Midlands (Marsh & Baxters from Brierley Hill) in those days their sausages both pork and beef were second to none, and tasted divine, now 50 years later i am sad to say that none of the current offerings do anything for me irrespective of their claims and overall meat content,they have all lost something over the years, like a host of other food products have, so in the end it all boils down to what your own taste buds are happy with? it really doesn't matter about other folks preferences.

Unknown said...

They are 42% pork. Get some butchers choice.

Leemus said...

I agree I don't mind these sausages because they never have hard bits in weres if they did I be put of and they be straight in the bin, they do contain high amounts of fat but I'm always sure to slow grill them or cooked in the George forman so most of that be gone anyway, nice and tasty in my opinion.

Moose said...

Personally I won't touch these, but people brought up on these because their parents or grandparents are used to them from the war are entitled to their opinion no matter how horrific it might seem to those of us preferring meat to tubes of lard, gristle and additive paste. Most sausages contain something unpleasant, just not in those quantities. My recommendation is try Porky Whites , especially the honey one.

Unknown said...

I always assumed that Richmond Sausages were a 'Good' Brand.
Although my mum never bought them. Always getting Tesco's, either "Finest" or generic. And I just automatically did the same.

Anyhow one day I bought two packs of Richmonds (they were special offer) thinking they'd be good.

The clear fat "processed" that came off them was the warning that they weren't good. SO MUCH OIL....that solidified into a solid pure white grease. It looked so 'manufactured'. The sausages themselves all turned the same even brown colour. The also went hard on the ouside.

My kids love Bangers......but not these ones.

We binned them

Anonymous said...

I agree they are vile pink slime wrapped in plastic they definitely are not the nation's favourite not fit for human consumption or animals

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with you they contain 36 % of fat construction and only 42% of meat other well known stores home cheap brands has more meat content than these disgusting things we need to educate women into stopping buying them as they are bombarding them with adverts lying they are the nations favourite

Anonymous said...

I totally 100% agree with you