Manor Farm Butchers - Leasingham - Breakfast Sausage

We reviewed some Lincolnshire sausages from  Manor Farm in 2016 and were interested to see if standards had been maintained (if you want to read what we said click here MANOR FARM LINCOLNSHIRE). I have been shopping regularly at this farm shop ever since, to me it means guaranteed high quality produce, be it veg, dairy, meat, you name it.

A traditional Breakfast Sausage has a light flavour that should not dominate the other items on the plate – it should act as supporting actor and not a self-proclaimed  spotlight attracting star. A Brian Murphy instead of a Brian Blessed. This is not to say that they should taste bland, they certainly should not, ideally the breakfast sausage will contain delicately seasoned meat that should still please the taste buds. How will Manor Farm’s version rate? Read on, sausage fans...

Where To Find Them:

On Moor Lane in Leasingham, just north of Sleaford off the A15. If using SausNav the postcode is NG34 8JN. There is free on site parking.

Opening Hours:

Monday – 0830 to 1800

Tuesday – 0830 to 1800

Wednesday – 0830 to 1800

Thursday – 0830 to 1800

Friday – 0830 to 1800

Saturday – 0830 to 1700

Sunday – 0900 to 1600

Stanwatch:

The boys were actually linking the bangers when I visited, and doing a grand job. When you visit look out for the butchery cubicle, it looks just like an old-fashioned ticket kiosk at the cinema! I hope they let the stans out for a cup of tea now and again.

Flavour:

Warm and rich flavours with no over-powering individual ingredient. Just as any good breakfast sausage should be – the sidekick to the other superhero ingredients. The back-up to some special bacon. The henchman for the, errrrm, hidneys (hidneys is copyright to RMS, we really mean kidneys). If you are looking for a powerfully flavoured banger as the centre-piece for your meal then these sausages are not the ones you seek.

Texture:

Firm and resistant to the eating irons, quite fine filling which sticks together like a bunch of missionaries trekking up the Amazon. I prefer a much coarser filling in a sausage but in this case it suits the bijou size of each link. If you could magically enlarge these bangers to the size of a regular sausage the filling would be lumpier, and more to our peculiar taste. Nowt wrong with the texture in these snorkers!

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 39 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 29 grams

Meat Content =  71% lean pork. I forgot to ask in the shop so had to message later on – and received a very prompt reply. Cheers

Value For Money:

£3.99 for 12 sausages weighing 466 grams. This works out as £8.56 per kg and 33p per banger.

The label states “Minimum 445 grams” and I am pretty sure that every pack contains more than that. We rate this as good value for money.

And Finally, Esther:

A decent breakfast sausage. Would play a perfect foil to some high quality black pudding. Or maybe kidneys. Or beef bacon. Try some!

Lincolnshire Sausage Season #2 of 13 - Manor Farm - Leasingham

Farm shops are often a great source of quality sausages. Many produce their own bangers, others stock excellent artisan products by renowned local butchers. I’m in the process of moving from Norfolk to Lincolnshire (for love, awww) and stumbled across Manor Farm on the way home from Lincoln Castle with the awesome other half and our two boys.

As soon as we pulled into the car park a goat popped his head over a low gate and begged for some fuss – duly provided by Ruth. This Is Not Standard at farm shops. But it was lovely. Apparently there are sometimes donkeys around too, whilst chickens wander around foraging happily and enjoying their freedom. So far so idyllic. Walk through the shop and you’re in a small and vibrant courtyard brimming with plants and pots and garden goodies of all descriptions. This is a little gem (boom boom).

Where To Find Them:

You can find this farm shop in the neat and tidy village of Leasingham, about three miles from the market town of Sleaford. They are on Moor Lane and the entrance is easy to miss, so drive slowly or you’ll have to turn round. Is you’re using SausNav the postcode is NG34 8JN.

Opening Hours:

I always seem to forget something don’t I. And this time I didn’t note or photograph the opening hours. I will have to rely on their Facebook page in this instance, so apologies if this is not correct. Maybe give them a quick call before you make a visit?

Monday to Friday 0830 – 2000

Saturday 0830 – 1730

Sunday 0900 - 1600

Stanwatch:

There are always staff members pottering around in this lovely little hive of a shop, friendly and helpful. Which is a good thing, obvs. However, we do love the surly glowering Stans that we find elsewhere. But that’s just us.

Flavour:

A traditional Lincolnshire sausage comprises just six ingredients – ground (not minced) pork, rusk, sage, salt and pepper. And natural sausage casings. Check the picture of the ingredients in these bad boys and it reads almost word for word the same. But there’s a problem. The dominant flavour has to be sage, which historically grows exceptionally well in Lincolnshire’s dry climate. But the overbearing taste here is pepper. Pepper, pepper, then more pepper. It’s not a bad flavour but it’s not quite right for a Lincolnshire sausage. We thought these bangers would work better in a different meal instead of with mash. They’re nice in themselves, but....

Texture:

Lovely and crumbly which matches the requirement for chopped pork. A good texture but marginally finer than the Southern & Thorpe version LINK. That’s slightly nit-picking though, compared to, say, Tesco or Iceland sausages the texture is absolutely FABULOUS darling. We like and we recommend.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 80 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 50 grams

Meat Content = I don’t know. The vague ingredients list doesn’t tell us (but it should). I do like things to be kept simple but I think Manor Farm are....taking it a bit too far. There’s laws and rules and stuff that I don’t think they’re sticking to. Mavericks!

Value For Money:

£3.99 for 7 sausages weighing 561 grams. This works out as £7.11 per kg and 57p per banger.

We rate this as good value for money.

Junior Sidekick's Three Word Verdict:

Once again JS was not around so the three word verdict has been provided by Ruth. And Ruth says “Tasty but highly peppered.” Which is four words. Unless “Tastybutt” is a new nickname for me of course.  I’m worth it.

The Imaginatively Titled Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

We kept one sample for ante meridian tasting but it got sliced up and tossed into a salad. Wherein it tasted pretty good among all the rabbit food. Must start trying to put more aside and doing this bit properly.

And Finally, Esther:

A good sausage! We enjoyed them. Pop down to Leasingham and try them for yourself....