The Porkinson Original Banger

These were feisty little cookers. And try saying that after half a pint of absinthe. Cooked and tasted half decent but there was some nagging doubt for me….would a top fashion photographer really start making sausages? Well….maybe, I guess. And if he DID start making sausages, would he go on to mass produce them? I doubt it, but then again, it IS possible.

You can check their website here: Porkinson

But on to the sausages, and they come in an attractive stripey orange box which is completely different to and rather more impressive than the usual “cardboard sleeve around a plastic tray” packaging. The box features the Union Jack prominently, as well as multiple bow-ties, and a rather Poirot-esque handlebar moustache. None of which are bad, and nod towards Britishness and toffdom. I think the packaging embraces the photog Parkinson’s outlook, and that’s nicely individual.

Meat Content:
Porkinson’s worked out at 42p each, which is the third highest price so far. Would they justify that position? Claiming 80% meat I was expecting a hefty banger, as only TheBlackFarmer had boasted a higher Meatification-ness so far. Well, I wasn’t exactly disappointed with these babies, but I wasn’t over-impressed either. They were reminiscent enough of expired pig to rate quite highly for meat content, but they’re not the best we’ve tried. Equally, they were FAR from the worst.

Flavour:
I enjoyed the Porkinson experience. As described, they were pretty meaty, and the actual taste seemed - somehow - to express the "idea" of meat more than some other sausages we’ve tasted, despite maybe having less - clever flavouring? The aroma when you lifted the slice of soss to your mouth was lovely, and again harked back to my childhood memories. So……”quite” tasty with a slight artificiality (as if they’d been made to seem more traditional than they really are). Not a full-on success, but still worth trying.

Texture:
Solid, but fine and uniform. I was pleased that while cooking they morphed from the horrible “square pink tube” that pre-packed bangers can adopt, to resemble something recognisable as sausage and less like mass-produced stuff. The uncooked look was very reminiscent of the previously tested Richmonds - why? These cut up nice and firm, breezed the Six Slice, and felt better in the mouth than they looked on the fork. A good effort.


Shrinkage:
Average weight uncooked - 66g
Average weight cooked - 54g

Shrinkage - 18%
　

Value For Money:
These cost £2.49, weighing in at 398g (397g according to my scales!) - this works out as a price of £6.26 per kg, or 42p per snorker.




Through A Child’s Eyes:
My six-year-old gave these an impressed thumbs up, followed by a comment of “two out of five”. So a mixed verdict. Mind you, he’s not really got the hang of scoring things yet.

Post Script:

Who’d have thought it? I believe that Porkinson’s are, in fact, Richmond’s With More Meat. I checked the respective websites’ Frequently Asked Questions sections.

From the Porkinson’s Site:

.
Do your Porkinson Bangers contain GMO's ?No. Porkinson's recognises that whilst the technology of genetic modification may offer a number of benefits, you may have reservations about the use of such novel scientific techniques. So where possible we have removed all ingredients derived from either soya or maize. But where we have to use these ingredients, we will purchase from suppliers that can prove that the origination of the soya or maize is conventional, i.e. non-GM

From the Richmond’s Site:
Do your products contain GMO's?
No. Richmond recognises that whilst the technology of genetic modfication may offer a number of benefits, you may have reservations about the use of such novel scientific techniques. So where possible we have removed all ingredients derived from either soya or maize. But where we have to use these ingredients, we will purchase from suppliers that can prove that the origination of the soya or maize is conventional, ie. non-GM.

From the Porkinson’s site:
Can I cook Porkinson Bangers in the oven?
Yes - either refer to instructions on back of pack or follow the guidelines below.
Fresh Sausages
Place sausages on a baking tray in a pre-heated oven at 180°C, 350°F, Gas mark 4 for 25-30 minutes, turning occasionally. For fan assisted ovens, adjust cooking times according to manafacturer's handbook.

From the Richmond’s site:
Can I cook Richmond sausages in the Oven?
Yes - either refer to instructions on back of pack or follow the guidelines below:Fresh Sausages:Place sausages on a baking tray in a pre-heated oven at 190°C, 375°F, Gas mark 5 for 20-25 minutes turning occasionally. For fan assisted ovens, adjust cooking times according to manufacturer's handbook.
　
There are a lot more VERY similar FAQs.
　
Coincidence?

I checked the company details, and found the following:

Richmond’s sausages:
Registered Office
Kerry Foods, Thorpe Lea Manor, Thorpe Lea Road, Egham, Surrey TW20 8HY

Porkinson’s sausages:
Registered Office
Kerry Foods, Thorpe Lea Manor, Thorpe Lea Road, Egham, Surrey TW20 8HY
　
　
How terribly disappointing. I wonder why there’s the elaborate charade based around Norman Parkinson, when these sausages are actually “Richmond’s Premium“? In retrospect the square shape when uncooked was exactly the same as the Richmonds. If all this is old news for you as you read this I apologise: I am a little shocked and a little disappointed by this revelation!