Newark's Best Pigs In Blankets 2020

The tasting teams are full up, 90 chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon have been tried and tested, and the results are now in for Newark's Best Pigs Blankets 2020.

We'll reveal the winners in a moment but first how did we decide? To begin with a testing panel was recruited, five sets of people with enthusiasm and a big appetite. The next step was to collect samples of chipolatas and streaky bacon from nine sources in and around Newark. These were divided into bags with just one letter written on so that the testers would have no idea which product was which. The teams assembled and cooked their PIBs and judged them on three criteria, Flavour, Appearance & Aroma, and Texture, with scores awarded from 1 to 5 in each category. And now the results are in...

Particularly interesting is that the pigs in blankets from “proper” butchers occupy the top seven positions, and the two supermarket bought samples trailed in eighth and last. Surely that must tell you something – shop local, buy meat from a butcher and not a multi-national corporation!

And the winner is – Sibleys of Newark, 59.75 points out of 75. Cost £1.25 each.

A fantastic score for Sibleys. Testers said:

The sausage looked a bit ‘coarse’ and meaty which we liked; it was nice and filling.

When the family tried them this was their favourite.

Nice Lincolnshire-style sausage.

Too big, massive!

Coarse, knobbly, crispy sausage skin, perfect.

Well balanced, best one by a country mile.

Second – Robbs Newark, 53.25 out of 75, £1.10 each

Firm, good coarse texture.

Smells smoky and bacon-y, smells amazing.

Probably the best bacon that we sampled. Good size sausage that you want for a pig in blanket so you can have a few.

Plump out a lot in cooking.

Fantastic and amazing taste, for me they were superior in every way, amazing smell, incredible taste and an appropriate and nice size as well.

Third – GH Porters Provisions, Newark, 49.5 out of 75, £1.57 each

Cut really nicely, really firm.

Herby, sausage was gamey.

Large, imposing, looked the part.

Fourth to Seventh, all with similar scores came Richards Quality Meats (Newark), Cottiers (Balderton), Porters (Newark) and Doncasters (Claypole). Just outside the podium places this year but still really nice products, and much, much better than the supermarket. Some sample comments:

Richards Quality Meats £0.81

Well balanced sausage and bacon, perfect saltiness.

Smells like breakfast!

Cottiers £0.58

Nicest looking, good size, crisped up nicely.

The bacon crisped up nicely and had a smoky aftertaste.

Porters £1.02

Sausage is lovely and flavoursome.

Evenly cooked with a nice texture.

Doncasters £0.76

These were my favourites and I'd definitely go out of my way to purchase both the chipolata and the streaky bacon.

Sagey, lovely sausage.

So there you have unbiased opinions on seven pigs in blankets from seven butchers (sounds like a terrible title for a Broadway musical). The final two places were as follows:

Eighth – Richmonds thin sausages and supermarket value bacon, 29.75 out of 75, £0.38 each

You said not to be defamatory so I shan't say anything!

It was very thin so easy to wrap and crisp up and this made it look deceivingly more appealing. The sausage was quite bland and didn’t change colour much from being raw to being cooked.

Mushy, awful cheap sausage, lots of bread filling in sausage.

Bit slimy on eating.

Last – Supermarket own-brand pigs in blankets, 27.75 out of 75, £0.19 each

Tiny, completely underwhelming.

Surprised me as I would call it a cocktail sausage not a chipolata.

So tiny, these are what I'd imagine you'd get in a ready meal Christmas Dinner.

Shocking.

Would look better on a stick on a buffet.

Greasy, too smooth.

Not enough seasoning, bland.

Wouldn’t have these again, a bit nondescript. Younger samplers described them as a bit gooey.

They think it's all over....it is now. Buy your meat from a quality local butcher and not the supermarket!

GH Porter Provisions - Newark - Newark Sausage

Porter's butchers, or GH Porter Provisions as the are formally known, is a lovely looking shop with a very attractive dual aspect frontage, in the heart of Newark. They've been providing tasty produce since 1890. It's unique in Rate My Sausage history as it's the place where the idea was hatched, the cradle of sausage rating as we know it. Many years ago, as I took my little old Mum out on a day trip to one of her old stomping grounds, the old girl wanted some sausages, and led the way to Porters. I was impressed by the range available from this proper butcher and wondered if it would be interesting to compare different varieties...

Of course it is a very worthwhile endeavour. We began comparing butchers to supermarkets but quickly found that there is simply no comparison. These days we try to promote quality British producers of high quality products, and support British agriculture where possible. But enough of that.

Porter's Newark sausages are a unique blend of pork, cheese and apples. They are truly local, with the pork from a nearby farm, the rich Stilton cheese produced just a couple of miles away, and the Bramley apples from a Newark garden, obtained by swapping them for bacon. Quid pro quo is alive and well here. With such splendid and local ingredients the sausage just had to be christened the “Newark”, and it's unique.

This is an important business for Newark, and is run by the archetypal jolly butcher, Tom – he will happily chat with you on all things meaty and local and has a wealth of interesting facts, figures and tales to impart. For instance, did you know that Porters products are exported – via Fortnum & Masons. Yes really! There's a website for you to peruse too: PORTERS WEBSITE

Where To Find Them:

Porters are located in the market place in Newark. Turn until you are facing the church spire then head towards the right hand corner nearest the church, and the shop is prominently situated on a corner. Can't miss it. The interior has been kept old-fashioned and nostalgic, and exudes warmth and customer service.

Opening Hours (temporary due to pandemic):

Monday – 0900 to 1400

Tuesday – 0900 to 1400

Wednesday – 0900 to 1400

Thursday – 0900 to 1400

Friday – 0900 to 1400

Saturday – 0900 to 1500

Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:

The shop is usually crewed by helpful female staff, but now and then one of the Stans makes an appearance to talk with a customer. A rare sighting, but a good one. Look out for Tom!

Flavour:

The flavour of the Newark sausage is almost overpowering, but not quite. They cuddle and smother and hug your taste buds providing a deeply flavoursome experience. The cheese is the most prominent taste backed up with quality sweet pork and the apple, it's unusual for a sausage but I bloody loved them. The one slight thing I would like to see is more tangy apple to slice through the super Stilton savouriness. Delicious.

Texture:

On a positive note the filling is three quarters on the road to perfect, it's crumbly, quite chunky, and you can see the individual components. Just look at the sliced and the fork pictures! Feels great in the mouth too, as the sausage mixes and melds nicely. But there is a problem. At Rate My Sausage we have always used a frying pan with a little oil to prepare the bangers, we think that's the proper way to do it. The Newark sausages really struggled in the pan and several of the English hog casings split asunder, despite the pan being on the lowest heat on the smallest gas ring. Did we have some rogue bangers, or would this happen again? We will be buying these sausages again because they taste lovely, so we'll try grilling next time (much against our principles!).

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 76 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 64 grams

Meat Content = I forgot to find out, sorry...

Value For Money:

£3.65 for 6 sausages weighing 457 grams. This works out as £7.99 per kg and 61p per banger.

After much consideration of all the facts we rate this as good value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

My notes say “AMAZING aroma in pan, rich deep cheesy porkiness. Obvs.” I think that sums it up nicely.

And Finally, Esther:

Great flavour, wonderful texture, be careful how you cook them...

Richard's Quality Meats - Newark - Pork & Black Pudding Sausage

We've lived in the attractive and historic market town of Newark for a year now and still haven't reviewed the local sausages. This obviously had to change so the plan is to tour the proper butchers in the town over the coming weeks - there are quite a few of them - and rate their bangers. First up are the pork and black pudding sausages from Richard's Quality Meats.

Richard's is a small but attractive shop, kept spotless as you would hope. They carry a huge variety of sausages so pretty much any palate can be accommodated. During the summer months they also offer a good range of BBQ packs, and judging by the reviews already online these are good quality and a good price. One thing not included in these special packs are their Vesuvius sausages, made with Indian fire chillies, specially developed by Richard to shoot down in flames (literally) those “I can eat any amount of spice” annoying kind of BBQ show-offs. Wow, they are hot, I was fortunate enough to try a couple and they are not for the faint hearted. If you like a spicy banger but one that won't set your eyebrows on fire, try the Three Amigos variety, made with three different chillies and peppers.

But those sausages are for another day. How did we rate the Pork & Black Pudding variety? Read on sausage fans...

Where To Find Them:

Tucked away up a small back passage in the middle of Newark is where you'll locate Richard's Quality Meats. The actual alley is called Clinton Arms Court, but if you can find Wilko's you're in the right place. Or if you're in the market place look for Barclays bank and head to its left.

Opening Hours:

Monday – Closed

Tuesday – 0800 to 1600

Wednesday – 0800 to 1600

Thursday – 0800 to 1600

Friday – 0800 to 1600

Saturday – 0800 to 1530

Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:

There are always a few Stans and Stanettes busily beavering in the background in this shop, properly turned out in whites, and all friendly and welcoming.

Flavour:

The pleasantly savoury flavour is well balanced between the two main ingredients. The pork is obviously good cuts, the opposite end of the quality spectrum to the pork we found in last week's Co-op review. You can see the nuggets of black pudding in the filling and it's a traditional accompaniment to sausages on the Full English plate. They go together like Mork and Mindy. Or salt and vinegar. Or Colleen Rooney and Rebecca Vardy. Oh, hold on....not that last one. This is a tasty sausage.

Texture:

Very good. Take a look at the “sliced” picture. Here at RMS we like our sausage fillings chunky and lumpy and these bangers are a pretty good attempt. Again, look at the Co-op variety from last week, there's really no comparison. It's like parking a Lotus next to a Datsun, one is hand-made by an individual who really knows and understands what they're doing, the other mass-produced on a production line. The skins are natural, as they should be. A proper casing really adds something to a sausage, the snap/crack when you cut them, and the effect of the frying pan heat tends to bend and bow them in interesting and unique ways. Ever wondered why low quality products like Richmonds sausages retain their perfect straight shape? It's because the collagen skins don't react in any way, except maybe disappearing completely. You can't say the same for this particular sausage.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 73 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 58 grams

Meat Content = 75 %

Value For Money:

We got a special deal here but going by the book the cost would be £5.21 for 8 sausages weighing 582 grams. This works out as £8.95 per kg and 65p per banger.

We rate this as good value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

Wonderful aroma as these were frying in the pan, filled the house and made me feel impatient to eat them, always a good sign. I do feel sorry for people who cook sausages in the oven, they're missing out on the great, traditional smell of frying bangers...

And Finally, Esther:

To paraphrase the great John Motson's iconic commentary on a Tony Currie goal, this is “A quality sausage from a quality butcher.” Buy some!