Monday, 23 September 2019

Wayne Howe - Misterton (near Gainsborough) - Tomato Sausage


Although universally known as “tomato sausage” this isn't yet another vegan hijacking of a traditional meat product. This sausage should properly be called a pork & tomato sausage as tomato is used as a flavouring rather than the entire filling. Here at Rate My Sausage we've been looking for a great tomato sausage for years but with mixed results, how would these from a highly recommended butcher go down?


First of all a little background, so bear with me. When we're not hunting out the perfect sausage, me and my junior sidekick Sam travel around lots of football stadiums, to enjoy the games but also to rate them in terms of atmosphere, food & drink etc. Last season we visited Barnsley FC at their Oakwell stadium, and ahead of the visit asked their fans via social media a few vital questions about parking, best chip shops etc. We were contacted by a very friendly chap called Derek Lindley, who not only gave us great insider knowledge about Barnsley FC but also pointed us in the direction of his favourite butcher – Wayne Howe in Misterton...


Where To Find Them:
With such a glowing thumbs up a visit became compulsory and so, a few weeks later, I found myself in the Gainsborough area hunting bangers and took a slight detour to Misterton to find this legendary shop. You can't miss it, it's on the main road through the village, directly opposite the Co-op (where you can park safely and for free). If you're going to use SausNav the postcode is DN10 4BU.

If you're looking online you can find their website here: Wayne Howe website


Opening Hours:
Monday – Closed
Tuesday – 0800 to 1730
Wednesday – 0800 to 1730
Thursday – 0800 to 1730
Friday – 0800 to 1730
Saturday – 0800 to 1600
Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:
One Stan on view, extremely helpful and immaculately turned out in traditional butcher's garb, shirt tie, green apron and hat. Perfect presentation. We were also told that these chaps have appeared on the telly show DIY SOS, when they donated trays of sausage rolls and pies to the building crew when the show was filming in the village.


Flavour:
Very decent tomato tones make these the best tomato sausages we have reviewed. The high quality pork plays its part too of course, Wayne uses belly and shoulder cuts provided from very local producers. The seasoning seems light which isn't such a bad thing here as it allows the tomato and pork to take centre stage. These are tasty sausages and I sliced the leftover links and added them to a salad – perfect contrast guaranteed.
If you have a specific type of sausage that you would like to try then please contact these guys – they will happily concoct any combination that you like, and have made many different varieties in the past including tomato & cheese and pork & Worcester sauce!

Texture:
These are large lumps of sausage, and they do not shrink in the pan. Check out the vital statistics. Firm and unyielding under the knife but when you have a slice in your mouth it dissolves slowly and sensually into delicious and good-sized pieces. Take a look at the fork photo – lovely size lumps of porky perfection – contrast that to the smooth, squirty filling in the likes of a bloody awful Richmond “sausage”. No contest! Why would you waste money on plop when you can enjoy a properly built banger like this?


Vital Statistics:
Average Weight Uncooked = 70 grams
Average Weight Cooked = 66 grams
Meat Content = 65 % - as you will often find with independent producers, this is a minimum figure to ensure they pass any Food Standards inspections. The “real” figure is approximately 72%.


Value For Money:
£3.23 for 6 sausages weighing 420 grams. This works out as £7.70 per kg and 54p per banger.
We rate this as very good value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:
There's a distinct lack of aroma when cooking which is a slight disappointment. But when you cut them open, YES, the tomato is there and smells delicious.


And Finally, Esther:
Very good sausages. You simply have to visit Misterton soon! Superb produce – and they're best mates with Nick Knowles!


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