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!
