Southern & Thorpe - Ruskington - Chicken & Sage Sausage (aka Chicken Linconshire)

We’ve tasted sausages from this place before and we were very impressed. Last time we tried their Lincolnshire sausages as the first part of Lincolnshire Sausage Season (further reviews coming soon, by the way), and after eight tests so far they are currently top of the table. Must tell you something. If you want to read what we wrote then click on this link – SOUTHERN & THORPE LINCOLNSHIRE SAUSAGES– but do so after you finish reading this one!

The obvious question you’d ask is “Why chicken?” Their pork Lincolnshires are so good there would seem to be little point in diversifying. The answer lies in Southern & Thorpe’s desire to provide their customers with exactly what they want. There was a request for a slightly healthier version of the Lincolnshire sausage and instead of altering the recipe mix of meat,/bulking,/seasoning etc it was decided to produce something completely different. A side effect of this is that these bangers are less fatty than usual and therefore popular with customers who are watching their waistlines - but still offer high quality flavour and texture.

Where To Find Them:

Point yourself towards the large village of Ruskington in south Lincolnshire, then aim for the middle of the village. There is a babbling brook (called The Beck) running down the main street and you can park either side of that or in the Co-op car park, for free. Head towards the church and Southern & Thorpe is directly opposite – look for the shop with a conservatory on its roof! If you’re using SausNav the postcode is NG34 9DY.

But beware! These are definitely a limited edition product, produced in small batches. Very much an “under the counter” offering, available only if you know the password and roll your trouser leg up to your knee while singing Waltzing Matilda. Well, maybe not quite “that” extreme, but if you’re visiting specifically for these chicken sausages I’d strongly recommend phoning ahead to ensure you’re not disappointed.

Opening Hours:

Monday – 0800 to 1300

Tuesday – 0800 to 1700

Wednesday – 0800 t 1700

Thursday – 0800 to 1700

Friday – 0800 to 1700

Saturday – 0800 to 1300

Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:

No Stans as before, but the lovely helpful Stanettes were there in force, delightful as always.

Flavour:

It’s finger-licking tasty! Lighter flavour than the pork version but bloody lovely nonetheless. There’s a healthy hit of sage as you’d expect backed up with nicely balanced seasoning. The pepper content is just right – you can tell it’s there but it stays in the shadows and lets the sage and chicken take centre stage. Most chicken sausages you can find are bland, mass-produced and quite flavourless – these ones are a delight.

Texture:

The chicken is crumbly but moist, how they’ve done it is beyond me. Crumbly but they stick together bravely until you get a forkful in your mouth – this disintegrates and allows the flavours to introduce themselves to your taste buds. The sausages shrink noticeably to the eye during cooking but retain a very healthy and creditable percentage of their initial weight. Good texture!

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 61 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 53 grams

Meat Content = yet again I failed to make a note. Call them and ask – 01526 834359.

Value For Money:

£3.60 for 8 sausages, weighing 484 grams. This works out as £7.44 per kg and 45p per banger.

We rate this as very good value for money. Maybe more costly than other chicken sausages you may use if you’re trying to lose weight, but oh so much better in every way.

Three Word Verdicts:

Junior Sidekick “Need more chicken”

Ruth “Different and interesting”

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

Little aroma during cooking, certainly not as tempting as your average pork banger. Don’t let that put you off though. There is a constant low level sizzle during cooking, even at a low temperature – what a tease!

And Finally, Esther:

Different and delicious sums it up. Buy some!