Odlings - Navenby - Bomber County Sausage

We only ever make return visits for two reasons – to confirm how good a sausage was on the first visit, or to confirm how utterly foul. Which is it? Well we reviewed Odling’s Lincolnshire variety last year and raved about the quality, the flavour, the staff – everything. There’s a link to that review a little further down the page.

Had Dan and his colleagues set themselves up for a fall, could the Bomber County bangers maintain the exceptional standard? As Meg Ryan might say, “yes, Yes, YES!”.

Where To Find Them:

Navenby is an attractive and ancient village in Lincolnshire, dating back to....nah, I wrote all this bit in the first review – if you want the background of where Odlings are located you could have a read of last year’s piece - Odlings Lincolnshire Sausages

Opening Hours:

Monday – 0600 to 1800

Tuesday – 0600 to 1800

Wednesday – 0600 to 1800

Thursday – 0600 to 1800

Friday – 0600 to 1800

Saturday – 0600 to 1730

Sunday – 1000 to 1600

Stanwatch:

Nothing to report, as these sausages came straight out of the Sausage Storage Facility (SSF). Otherwise known as the freezer.

Flavour:

The unique selling point for the Bomber County variety is that they’ve used Bomber County real ale in place of water. Wow, what a difference this makes. The flavour is full and fabulous, and cuddles your taste buds rather than slapping them. Seasoning is very well balanced, there’s enough of a hint of pepper to let you know it’s there but not overpowering. Such a homely and comforting flavour, very impressive, it will take you straight back to eating bangers and mash after school, while watching Take Hart and Animal Magic.

Texture:

First thing to note is all the different shapes and sizes. We like this a lot. They are made up of lovely big bobbly bits, which is what we like. Just look at the pictures!  Lovely large lumps of extremely local, high quality pork and fat combine beautifully to make eating them a real treat. The skins are also very good, almost “pingy”, and when you cut into the sausage the skin yanks the banger apart like a reverse-action Venus fly trap. It’s as if the sausage is desperate to be eaten. You’ll find it hard to squish your fork through these beauties, so they’re a million miles better than, say, a Richmond abomination.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 63 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 55 grams

Meat Content = 85 %

Value For Money:

£4.29 for 8 sausages weighing 504 grams. This works out as £8.52 per kg and 54p per banger.

We rate this as fantastic value for money.

The Imaginatively Titled Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

The surviving bangers travelled with me to work the next morning. I had planned to taste them combined with an array of sauces and condiments. It didn’t happen. When I popped the lid off of the box the delicious aroma was just too tempting and they were guzzled in double quick time. On reflection I ‘m saying this was a positive result, and these sausages tasted just as nice the day after frying.

And Finally, Esther:

A successful return visit, carried out to confirm the high quality of our first experience. You didn’t think anything else surely? Odlings is a great butcher and their bangers are highly recommended!

Meridian Meats - Louth - Best Lincolnshire Sausage

If you have perused Rate My Sausage previously then you will probably already know the name Meridian Meats. They’ve progressed from a kitchen-based tiny operation, through many awards and prizes, into the town centre in Louth, and are now a must-visit establishment. Headed by former UK Young Butcher Of The Year – Jim Sutcliffe – I have never had a bad product from this shop – which is just what you would expect from a member of the elite butcher’s Q GUILD

Of course we’ve reviewed sausages from here before – amazingly it was about eight years ago. Time flies when you’re frying bangers eh? One lovely fact to emerge is that the cost per Best Lincolnshire sausage has only risen six pence over the years, well done chaps. If you’d like to read the previous reviews you can find them in the list of reviews just to the right – but you might have to scroll down a bit ==========>>>>>>>>>

Where To Find Them:

Stroll along Eastgate in the lovely market town of Louth and you can’t miss them. Look for the little pigs dangling over the footpath and you’re there. Alternatively look for the metal banding set into the ground – this marks the passage of the zero degrees longitude meridian which gives the shop its name. If you’re using SausNav the postcode is LN11 9AA.

Opening Hours:

Monday – 0830 to 1700

Tuesday – 0830 to 1700

Wednesday – 0830 to 1700

Thursday – 0830 to 1700

Friday – 0830 to 1700

Saturday – 0830 to 1500

Sunday – Closed

Stanwatch:

There always seems to be a couple of knowledgeable and very helpful Stanettes beavering away at the front of the shop, serving customers with a lovely smile and good advice. Whenever I’ve visited the top man, Jim, has been grafting away toward the back, also more than willing to engage with the punters. Service here is exemplary.

Flavour:

Occasionally when I return to a previously-liked butcher I feel that I have to be extra critical so that people don’t think that there’s any favouritism going on. This was one such case. The flavour of Jim’s Best Lincs is full and well rounded, there’s a little less pepper here but there is added mace and nutmeg. The seasoning blend is made in the shop rather than bought in as occurs at many places. As usual I asked for the exact recipe and as usual it was refused. Ho hum. The star turn in these sausages is the great light flavour of the local pork, which almost squeaks as you chew.

Texture:

Really firm, and extremely juicy. These sausages firm up so much in the frying pan. They go in like Limp Bizkit and come out like Nine Inch Nails – real Boyz 2 Men stuff. If you scaled up these items you could build a decent log cabin out of them, but them you’d probably eat your own home. What a way to go though. Very hearty sized chunks of rare breed pork abound, and they simply ooze goodness when you press the fork down. The skins are natural and I loved them, however my breakfast partners thought they were slightly on the thick and tough side. Heathens.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 68 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 62 grams

Meat Content = 85 %

Really low amount of shrinkage, ensuring you really do get what you pay for. Fab.

Value For Money:

£3.44 for 6 sausages weighing 405 grams. This works out as £8.50 per kg and 57p per banger.

We rate this as good value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

Superb sizzle and smell in the pan. So tempting to dive in and start scoffing...

And Finally, Esther:

Lovely bangers from a great producer – buy some soon!

Blessetts - Billingborough - Lincolnshire Sausage

As part of my work as a mental health support worker I spent several months working with a young lad who lived in Billingborough, and would often walk with him past an interesting looking small butcher’s shop on our way to feed the ducks near the church.

Billingborough is a very pretty village in South Lincolnshire, almost halfway between the market towns of Sleaford and Bourne. Named after the Billings tribe who invaded England after the Romans shipped off home, the nicest feature is the natural, bubbling spring near the thirteenth century church. The artesian spring water is very high in iron content and was a popular destination for health-conscious Victorians. The ducks that live here are a mixture of breeds living in harmony, but the most interesting to me are the Indian Running Ducks, who sometimes race hilariously around the pond and its surroundings. Well worth a visit.

Where To Find Them:

You will find the shop in Chapel Street, you can’t miss it. After you’ve bought your bangers carry on around the corner, past the doctors’ surgery and rest for a while on one of the benches near the pond. The view of pond, ducks and church is idyllic and a perfect image of a typical beautiful English village. If you’re using SausNav aim for NG34 0QH, best place to park is on the main street somewhere near the Co-op (free street parking).

Opening Hours:

Monday –  Closed

Tuesday – 0800 to 1700

Wednesday – 0800 to 1700

Thursday – 0800 to 1400

Friday – 0800 to 1700

Saturday – 0800 to 1400

Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:

It’s a small shop but perfectly proportioned, and you will find a happy smiling Stan behind the counter, offering warm and efficient service. Sorry, I didn’t catch his name...

Flavour:

It’s a mild flavour for a Lincolnshire. Recently I have introduced work colleague Tony to proper sausages and he found the Lincolnshire variety too spicy – wonder how he would get on with these? The recipe, as always, is a closely guarded secret (bah), but with a Lincolnshire sausage you’re really only looking for good quality coarsely-chopped pork, rusk/bread, salt, pepper And a hefty hit of sage. All the boxes are ticked with Blessett’s Lincolnshires, and it’s a tasty yet subtle version.

Texture:

There is good and bad to report here. The skins mainly disappeared during the frying process, and the sausages striped up quickly. Not a good thing at all, probably indicating that the casings are not natural but made of collagen – a protein mainly found in connective tissues in mammals. Also it’s the stuff that people like Amanda Holden pump into their lips to make them look “better”. On the plus side the texture of the sausage is coarse (just how I like it) and crumbly with lovely large lumps of pork which feel great when you bite in. Coarse cut pork is one of the essentials for a Lincolnshire, so well done Blessetts.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 69 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 59 grams

Meat Content = 85 %

Value For Money:

£6.49 for 12 sausages weighing 832 grams. This works out as £7.80 per kg and 54p per banger.

 We rate this as decent value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

Absolutely fabulous aroma from the pan! I wanted to eat these sausages long before they were properly cooked. If Opal Fruits are made to make your mouth water, these sausages will make your mouth dribble and drool...

And Finally, Esther:

A good sausage let down by the casings. Overall well worth a try, and infinitely better than god-awful Richmonds and the like....

Fosters Butchers - Lincoln - Lincolnshire Sausage

 I was born in Lincoln and spent the early part of my childhood there. We lived in Spa Street, a neat terrace on a steep hill, leading off the main Monks Road downwards towards the railway lines. It therefore made sense to start my search for Lincoln sausages in a butcher on that very road, Monks Road, just a stone’s throw from my first primary school.

Instead of writing my own background info I will quote from the Fosters’ website. “We are a local family run business, which has been trading from the same premises for over 130 years through 6 generations of the Foster family. During this time our business has changed considerably. We not only operate a top quality retail butchers and bakers shop but we also supply a wide range of catering outlets including pubs, restaurants, hotels, canteens, schools and nursing homes.

We also operate our own bakery which produces homemade Lincolnshire pork pies, meat pies, sausage rolls, homemade bread and cakes. We also produce our own top quality Lincolnshire sausages and haslet.

We particularly pride ourselves on the reputation that we have built up for our Lincolnshire Beef. We still select direct from the farm, choosing local farms that we have built up a good relationship with over a number of years. The Beef is butchered on our premises and then most importantly matured correctly for perfect eating quality.

The current owners are brothers, Mark and Paul Foster who along with their skilled and experienced staff work hard to provide all their customers with top quality local produce.”

Where To Find Them:

The address in 111 Monks Road, Lincoln, use the postcode LN2 5HT if using SausNav. You can park in the side road adjacent to the shop.

Opening Hours:

Monday – 0730 to 1700

Tuesday – 0730 to 1700

Wednesday – 0730 to 1200

Thursday – 0730 to 1700

Friday – 0730 to 1700

Saturday – 0730 to 1300

Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:

Owners Mark & Paul Foster were both a-choppin’ and a-slicin’ away when I arrived first thing on a Monday morning. They weren’t alone, at least one other smartly overalled Stan was busy at the block. I like to see the chaps preparing the produce fresh and on-site.

Flavour:

First note reads “spot on the money for a Lincs”.  You’ll find very well combined flavours of pork and sage with just the right amount of seasoning. There’s a very gentle heat of pepper as an after-taste but it’s balanced out by the sweetness of the locally sourced pork. Fosters have got the ingredients mix exactly right here, well played lads! I did ask for the recipe but as always “It’s an ages old secret, passed down through the generations”. Bah.

Texture:

To start, the skins here are fabulous, natural casings and when fried have that snappy quality when you cut them. These snap like an overweight rugby player’s jockstrap.  The filling initially seems quite fine but when you push it apart there are plenty of decent sized niblets of niceness to keep you happy. These sausages fall apart beautifully in the mouth. I’d say “an eight and a half, maybe a nine in a few beers time” – can you spot the music quote there?

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 64 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 55 grams

Meat Content = 65% minimum. As with any good quality butcher they add more than this but state 65% as a safe benchmark for the Food Standards people.

Value For Money:

£3.23 for 8 sausages weighing 512 grams. This works out as £6.29 per kg and 40p per banger.

We rate this as fantastic value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

They looked a little pale and uninteresting before cooking but bulked up manfully and impressively while browning in a most pleasing style. Irresistible aromas wafted around the kitchen as these sausages fried in the pan. There were also lovely bubbly sizzling sounds as the fat content melted and did its job, moistening the filling beautifully. Cooking them was almost as much fun as eating them.

And Finally, Esther:

These are brilliant bangers at a barmy low price. You’ve simply got to try some as soon as you can.

Lincolnshire Sausage Season #13 of 13 - Hargraves - Pinchbeck - Old Style Lincolnshire Sausages

Pinchbeck can be found two miles north of Spalding. On Knight Street, just around the corner from the thousand year-old church, past the football ground, and on the other side of the road you will find Hargraves the Butchers. Marvellously they have their own private customer car park beside the shop so parking up while you buy your meaty goodies is simple. If you want to use SausNav the postcode is PE11 3RA. Also I would recommend visiting on a Wednesday if you’re a sausage fan (and if you’re not, why are you reading this?) as that’s the day that Hargraves put several different and interesting varieties of snorker on sale – but beware, they sell out quickly and when they’re gone, they’re gone....

Under gloomy and leaden skies, but with a passion for excellent meat products lighting up my heart, I found myself in Hargraves car park in Pinchbeck. As well as being a nice village, the word pinchbeck is the name of an alloy invented by watch-maker Christopher Pinchbeck in the eighteenth century, composed of 89% copper and 11% zinc, and developed so that less wealthy customers could own “gold effect” watches and jewellery. So what would a historic village steeped in agriculture have to offer to us sausage lovers? Read on....

Stanwatch:

Two cheery Stanettes were waiting behind the counter when I arrived, bundled up in many layers of thermal clothing – this shop always keeps its doors open to give a friendly and inviting welcome to customers. I felt a little sorry for them actually, apparently it can be “blooming  parky” when the wind whips over the flat fenland countryside and straight in through the door. Good service was provided though.

Opening Hours:

Monday – 0730 to 1730

Tuesday – 0730 to 1730

Wednesday – 0730 to 1730

Thursday – 0730 to 1730

Friday – 0700 to 1930

Saturday – 0630 to 1700

Sunday - Closed

Flavour:

Warm, homely and old-fashioned (as you would hope, judging by the name of the sausage), these are very tasty bangers. The very local  pork is light and moist and a million miles from any terrible “sausage” you may find in a supermarket. To my mind there is marginally too much pepper for the genuine Lincolnshire flavour but that is a very minor quibble – make no mistake, these sausages taste delicious.

Texture:

In a word – “Superb!” These are known as Old Style Lincolnshires as the filling is chopped coarser than their standard version. There’s a juicy, chunky feel in the mouth and the sausages are really pleasant to chew. Very solidly bonded bangers. Lumpy, clumpy and there’s even the occasional meaty squeak as you eat. Skins are natural and make this a top quality sausage - I am a fan already.  They are also very hearty, I wanted to eat more but was just too full.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 64 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 60 grams

Rest assured, these are solid logs of sausages, and what’s even better is the tiny amount of weight lost during the frying process, meaning that you do end up eating what you paid for.

Value For Money:

£2.74 for 8 sausages weighing 511 grams. This works out as £5.36 per kg and 34p per banger.

We rate this as ruddy brilliant value for money, you’d be crackers not to try some as soon as possible.

Three Word Verdicts:

Junior Sidekick was not present.

Ruth “Delicious, snappy, peppery”

JP was away.

The Imaginatively Titled Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

We lined up the survivors against four options – Branston pickle, English mustard, horseradish sauce and “Rib Tickler BBQ Sauce” by The Chilli Jam Man. All would make an acceptable companion for a cold sausage butty but the favourite in this case was the Branston pickle, closely followed by the mustard. The Rib Tickler sauce is absolutely delicious but not quite the right partner for a sausage, and the horseradish didn’t work particularly pleasingly.

And Finally, Esther:

These are lovely sausages at a very tempting price – you really can’t afford to ignore them!

Lincolnshire Sausage Season #12 of 13 - Ancaster Butchers

Ancaster is an attractive village in south Lincolnshire, halfway between Sleaford and Grantham. In days gone by it was a Roman settlement and it lies on the Roman road Ermine Street, where said road crosses the modern day A153. There are two nearby nature reserves, each of which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, dedicated to the Tall Thrift plant, which is native to this area of England and a vulnerable species.

Ancaster Butchers is located on what appears to be the “high street” in the village but is actually the existing route of Ermine Street. You should be able to park nearby on the roadside. If you are using SausNav type in NG31 3PW.  There is a website with a nice “About Us” section here: ANCASTER BUTCHERS

I visited Ancaster when I was collecting chipolatas and streaky bacon for our Pigs In Blankets Taste Test before Christmas (see how they turned out in the last three photos of this review). While I was there I also bought some incredibly thick pork chops which were absolutely bloody lovely – when you pop in be sure to get some yourself. But how did their Lincolnshire sausages rate? There’s only one way to find out – read on....

Opening Hours:

Monday – 0730 to 1700

Tuesday – 0730 to 1700

Wednesday – Closed

Thursday – 0730 to 1700

Friday – 0730 to 1700

Saturday – 0730 to 1200

Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:

The cosy shop space backs onto a longer preparation room which was a hive of activity when I visited. The meat masterminds are Luke and Spencer, who also build the bangers. I was served by the very helpful Becky. Efficient service and lots of warm smiles is a great combination.

Flavour:

After a couple of peppery Lincolnshire offerings these samples were refreshingly light on the stuff, just as they should be. There’s a gentle sage flavour throughout, and the overall taste is rather mild. These bangers are inoffensive. If Ford Prefect was a sausage reviewer he’d say they were “mostly harmless”. That’s not to say they are not worth eating because I enjoyed them a lot, it’s a good choice for your full English breakfast.

Texture:

My notes start with “Fine, firm, manly” which isn’t a bad three word summary. In fact it’s a very good combination. They firmed up very well in the pan and resisted strongly when we tried to squish a fork through the filling. I did notice some rather obvious stripes developing while cooking which is either down to my poor kitchen skills or the presence of something artificial in the sausages. I’ll have to have some more soon to check this out. The skins were commented on as “average”.

By the way, I'm not saying that The Powers That Be consider this blog to be a threat to the fabric of society, but I was buzzed by a pair of Apache helicopters as I left....just saying!

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 58 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 54 grams

Meat Content = 96/97 %, Luke wasn’t entirely sure.

Value For Money:

£3.90 for 8 sausages weighing 466 grams. This works out as £8.37 per kg and 50p per banger.

We rate this as good value for money, a decent price for a nice example of the Lincolnshire sausage.

Three Word Verdicts:

Junior Sidekick “Sausages very good.”

Ruth “Nicely spiced. Good.”

JP “Juicy, very tasty.”

And Finally, Esther:

A decent version of a Lincolnshire sausage which I will be trying again in 2019.

Lincolnshire Sausage Season #10 of 13 - Odlings - Navenby

Where to start with this well-known, well-loved Lincolnshire butcher. Speaking with uber-Stan Dan Mitchell I found out so much about this business. To discover the full, fascinating history of this company click this link and then select, obviously, the “History” section – ODLINGS

As a brief summary the firm started in 1920, so they are busy planning some special celebrations for their centenary in a couple of years time. Starting off selling just pots and pans, this grew into a hardware shop with a few meat products on the side, and then blossomed into the splendid village butcher that you can visit today. And visit you definitely must!

Where To Find Them:

Navenby is an attractive and ancient village in Lincolnshire, dating back to the Bronze Age, around 600BC. It was also a garrison staging point for Roman forces marching up and down Ermine Street. The wide main street is evidence of its more recent history as a market town, with a charter being granted by Edward the Confessor in the eleventh century. More recently a more saucy side of the village was revealed when Lawrence of Arabia wrote “I'm too shy to go looking for dirt. That's why I can't go off stewing into the Lincoln or Navenby brothels with the fellows.” He was stationed at RAF Cranwell near Sleaford at the time.

Odling’s shop is located on the High Street in Navenby, if you drive slowly you can’t miss it – and as a bonus they have their own large car park just across the road, what more could you ask for? If you’re using SausNav it’s LN5 0ET.

If you can’t travel to Navenby the good news is that Odling’s deliver in the local area. Many years ago they ran a fleet of seven vans but nowadays it’s just the one, with various different routes around the area, depending on the day. Either see their website for details or call on 01522 810228.

Opening Hours:

Monday – 0600 to 1800

Tuesday – 0600 to 1800

Wednesday – 0600 to 1800

Thursday – 0600 to 1800

Friday – 0600 to 1800

Saturday – 0600 to 1730

Sunday – 1000 to 1600

Stanwatch:

I didn’t spy any Stans during my visit, but was pretty involved in conversation about all things meat-related with Dan Mitchell. A very capable, articulate butcher, you could do worse than ask for his personal assistance when you pop in. Cheers Dan!

Flavour:

Briliantly balanced seasoning sets off these lovely sausages to a tee. The first word I wrote in the review notes was “delicious”, which is a fair one-word summary. The flavour is deep, dark and addictive, very faithfully Lincolnshire with a decent sage-y taste backed up with obviously high-quality pork. No ears, snouts or tail in these bangers, it’s all killer no filler. I asked for the recipe hoping to catch Dan off guard, but as usual it is “ancient and secret”. Bah.

Texture:

I have to say I was not overly impressed with the texture, but that’s because I am extremely picky. The filling is quite fine and I prefer chunky – the bigger the better. Indeed a Lincolnshire sausage is traditionally chunkier inside than most. The skins were not very snappy either, which was a surprise. Blobs of filling oozed from the ends during cooking which I absolutely love. However, don’t let my own personal preferences stop you from trying these bangers, I think 99% of the population would bloody love ‘em!

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 58 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 45 grams

Meat Content = 85 %

Odlings source their pork from Porters, a high quality producer, also based in Navenby. If you’re trying to reduce your food miles then you can’t get better than that. Also, their beef is reared in the neighbouring village of Caythorpe, again excellent green credentials. Porters  also supply some of the other producers of top quality sausages in the area. 

Value For Money:

£2.88 for 8 sausages weighing 466 grams. This works out as £6.18 per kg and 36p per banger.

We rate this as brilliant value for money, unit price is quite a bit lower than many comparable sausages. Do yourself a favour and buy some as soon as you can.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

Superb aroma in the pan, one sniff will take you straight back to teatime in 1977 when mum was frying your tea as you watched Blue Peter. Or Magpie.

The Imaginatively Titled Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

There was only one survivor from the eight brave bangers who jumped into my frying pan the night before. One survivor. And Ruth nicked it.....

She says “The taste was really nice, just as good as when they were hot and texture was a bit firmer cold.  Overall very nice”.

And Finally, Esther:

A tasty Lincolnshire banger which is also great value. You’d be (Christmas) crackers not to try some.