Wilkinson's – Doncaster Market – Thick Traditional Sausage

 It’s part two of our Doncaster Market series and this time we’re at the stall of Wilkinson's Butchers. You can’t miss this one, it’s straight in front of you when you enter the indoor market.

The first thing you may notice is the exceptionally warm and friendly welcome from these guys, absolutely lovely. While I was deciding which bangers to buy a family approached the stall. The couple’s child clearly had a learning disability and the staff made a proper fuss of them all, involving all three family members in their sausage-buying choices. I work in mental health so I know that this kind of treatment is sadly not as common as it should be, so well done Wilkinson’s! Customer service done the right way.

One exceptional thing about these meat-mongers is their posting of POV videos on their Facebook page. These cover lots of aspects of butchers and butchering, so check them out for some entertainment and information. Another thing to note is that on a Friday and Saturday Wilkinson’s deploy their full range of 22 different varieties – so if you’re going to pay a special visit it may be that a Friday or Saturday is your best option…

Where To Find Them:

In the market hall in beautiful downtown Doncaster of course! Stall 25 to be precise. If you’re using SausNav it’s DN1 1LP.

Opening Hours:

Monday - Closed

Tuesday – 0800 to 1530

Wednesday - Closed

Thursday - Closed

Friday – 0700 to 1530

Saturday - 0700 to 1530

Sunday - Closed

Correct as at 8 May 25.

Stanwatch:

Three people were beavering away when I visited, who I later discovered were top man Daniel Wilkinson, son Brennan, and Aunty Karen.

Flavour:

Oh yes. A lovely nostalgic flavour here. Remember the tea-times of your youth, only allowed two sausages because there wasn’t much money around, thin gravy with little fat bobbles, why was there always cabbage? The flavour of Wilkinson’s Traditionals will instantly take you back to that Tuesday night, just after John Craven’s Newsround. And that can’t be a bad thing? Nowt fancy going on here, just a tasty, meaty, satisfying flavour that I really like.

Texture:

There’s nowt wrong with what’s inside these sausage skins. The RMS preference is a chunky chopped porkiness but if we can't have that then please, please make the filling firm, full, and fab, and not like wallpaper paste (Richmonds style). These bangers resist the fork just nicely. We approve.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 65 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 53 grams

Shrinkage = 18 %

Meat Content = 80 %

Value For Money:

£5.04 for 6 sausages weighing 388 grams. This works out as £12.99 per kg and 84p per banger.

We rate this as very good value for money.

And Finally, Esther:

Second Donny market sausage, and another high quality producer offering high quality bangers. These sausages are good, with a capital G – so much so that I’m planning a return visit soon, to investigate some of those 22 varieties…wonder if they do a tomato sausage or a pork and leek?

Sleaford Sausage Shop - Pork, Leek & Stilton Sausage

 In these times of mass closures of independent butchers shops it's great to be able to report the arrival of a new kid on the block. Not the complete butchery shop, but a lovely, little shop dedicated to selling sausages! Heaven.

Ian is the creative genius here and first opened the doors of Sleaford Sausage Shop on Saturday 13 November last year. The sausages completely sold out two hours before the intended closing time. The same thing happened the following Saturday. And amazingly has re-occurred every weekend since then. What better recommendation do you need than a product selling out week after week?

Where To Find Them:

Sleaford Sausage Shop is located in the quaint Victorian-era Bristol Arcade in the market town of Sleaford, Lincolnshire. The arcade has two entrances, one opposite the market place, the other where Clarks shoe shop is.

Opening Hours:

Monday – Closed

Tuesday – Closed

Wednesday – Closed

Thursday – Closed

Friday – Closed

Saturday – 0800 to 1300

Sunday – Closed

Yes the shop is only open on the early part of Satrudays. Plan a trip and bag some bangers. Ideally visit on the first Saturday of the month when the farmers market is held just across the road in the shadow of St Denys church.

Stanwatch:

No Stans on show, this is a one man band. Also the shop is...compact...so you probably couldn't fit any Stans behind the counter anyway.

Flavour:

The good quality cut pork is sweet and innocent, the leek adds more background sweetness. We've tried more “leeky” versions which is more to my taste, but producers these days are trying to appeal more to the masses than weird individual sausage lovers like me. The Stilton aroma is great, the flavour a little harder to capture, but the rich, laid-back creaminess sneaks up on you, and leaves a delightful cheesy after-taste. The flavour is probably better suited to maybe a cassoulet than for your breakfast, as the elements come through clearly and “do exactly what it says on the tin”. And if you remember that advert, you're older than you claim...

Texture:

Coarse chopped, and we love coarse chopped! The natural hog skins are snappy to cut into, just how it should be. Inside the filling it is easy to spot decent sized bits and pieces of the ingredients. These are succulent sausages, when you push a fork onto one it simply oozes sausage-y goodness.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 82 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 71 grams

Meat Content = minimum 75% pork shoulder or loin

Value For Money:

£4.21 for 6 sausages weighing 495 grams. This works out as £8.50 per kg and 70p per banger.

We rate this as very good value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

A subtle but interesting aroma before cooking which developed into “Are they cooked yet?” during frying.

And Finally, Esther:

Several butchers have told me now that tastes have changed in recent times and there is more demand for a blander, less challenging flavour profile, think mass produced pigswill like Richmonds. These bangers from Sleaford Sausage Shop are the polar opposite, full of grown-up flavour and texture. Recommended!

Musks - Marmite - Part 1

By our south-west correspondent Alex (@GingeyBites)

I love sausages. I always have and I always will. We call them snorks, bangers, sosijjiz and snorkers in our family, all terms of endearment for what is ultimately a very delicious, very versatile and totally comforting thing to eat. Why I’ve not thought to write a sausage blog of my own is beyond me, but there you go. Fortunately I’m now part of the RMS gang and so, that means I can wax lyrical about sausages in a safe space without sounding like I’ve lost the plot!

So, time for my first review and it’s a good’un.

Marmite. As everyone knows, you love it or you hate it. Me? I love it. Recently, there’s been a spate of marmite flavoured stuff available to buy, from marmite butter to crisps and even hot cross buns. I’ve tried them all. I’d never heard of marmite sausages though. Until now.

Musks have been making sausages since 1884 and their Newmarket sausage recipe is over 130 years old and has PGI status which means it’s a protected regional food product which noted characteristics. They also have a royal warrant so, if anyone was going to do a marmite sausage well, I figured these guys have a pretty good chance.

You can buy Musk’s sausages online or at their butchers shop in Newmarket.

Initial thoughts

On opening the packet, the sausages looked much like any other sausages, albeit maybe very slightly darker in appearance (almost like a spiced merguez) than you’d usually find with pork. I did however think they had a slight yeasty smell to them.

Flavour:

Can you guess?! Yep, marmite-y. Although not as much as we were expecting. A lot of the marmite seeped out during the cooking (leaving some nice crispy sticky bits to scrape off the pan) and so, whilst the sausages were yeasty, they weren’t screaming marmite. They were also quite salty which is no bad thing when you’re a salt fiend but might put some diners off.

I ate three sausages that night and actually found them way more filling than I usually find three sausages. I think the yeasty rich flavour was quite intense - not a bad thing, just an observation.

I’m not usually a novelty sausage eater and I prefer them to showcase the quality of their meat rather than mask it under herbs or strange flavour combos (don’t even talk to me about sweet chilli sausages) but I have to say, marmite is a good pairing for pork. It didn’t mask the pork flavour at all, if anything the richness of the yeast drew it out into something very punchy and as I’ve said, filling.

Texture:

I liked that there was texture to even talk about. Have you ever had a cheap sausage that feels as though the filling has been run through the mincer a few too many times? Resulting in a pink unidentifiable mush? This wasn’t that, although I guess if you’re on this website you understand the importance of a good mouth feel when it comes to sausages. The rusk (barley and oats) was definitely partially responsible for the chunkier texture but again, not a bad thing. Having grilled them, turning regularly, the sausages had a good chew to them too - with a crispy skin followed by soft insides and no pools of oil or dryness to talk of which made me very happy.

Value for Money:

A pack of six sausages on the Musk’s website costs £3.50. That works out at 58 pence per sausage which is a little more expensive than you’d pay for most premium brands at the supermarket. These are around £1 more than most own brand premium products (eg. Tesco Finest) and slightly more than brands like Porky Whites and Heck.

For novelty factor - I’d say yes, they were worth £3.50 as a treat but I’m sure that there are equally delicious sausages with a higher meat content (these are 70%) available for less.

My closing statement… would be this:

Hearty, big bertha sausages which are perfect for bangers and mash (which is how we ate them) and would work well in a toad in the hole too, I’m sure. If you like marmite, give these a whirl. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. We gave these a solid 8/10 and, whilst I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy them, if I saw them in my butchers or the supermarket, I’m sure a pack or two would end up in my trolley.

The Jolly Hog - Proper Porker

 By our Cumbria reporter Jon Fell (@jonfellchef)

Now, before we get under way in this little sausage fest blog, I should give you a brief low down as to why on earth I'm even doing it!!

I was approached many weeks ago now, By Rate My Sausage, and I think you'll all agree, quite reputedly now near legendary, Rate My Sausage, It's a rather upmarket version of the lower, rather substandard alternative " Rate My " sites that we've all come to see out there, And One can only assume that they have ran out of people to ask, And So they have resorted to approaching randoms!! ME!!

But!! Having coated a 1.5kg ostrich egg in 10kg of Cumberland sausage and deep fried it a few years past, I know a thing or six about sausages and the meat thereof, So why not I thought,

So to cut a long story even longer, I obviously said yes, Even though, It's unpaid ( aren't they all ) I'm busy enough as it is, I'm liable to get sued, if not sued, the very least followed to my car!!!

And So we begin, Weeks had passed and I hadn't even given a minute of my time to this, Not even a thought, To be fair It's hard enough remembering my own name on occasion, far less, to remember to do a task someone has so politely asked of me, so feeling a tad guilty, I skipped off to my local supermarket, I'm only allowed inside one nowadays, And that has to be accompanied by another adult, as I'm barred from the others, A stupid reason really, but they didn't take kindly to me shouting

" Why are you selling asparagus from Peru? "

AND

" WTF is Vietnamese River Cobbler? "

AND

Questioning the store managers parentage!!

Now, the reason for this was solely to go and buy their own brand sausage, and completely rip it to shreds in my now, self proclaimed role as, Sausage Captain!!

So, whilst waltzing around said supermarket, I stumbled upon the " Reduced " section, Who cannot but stand and gaze at all of those yellow stickers?

And I spotted these...

The Jolly Hog, a company set up by three brothers, Proper Porker British Pork Sausages, Made with outdoor bred pork no less, Gluten Free too, so I thought that's got to be good thing right?, And the pack had a " Great Taste 2 ** sticker on!!, Even though, as you and I are well aware, they hand those out to anyone who can pop crisp £20 notes into a brown envelope that can be easily fit into the inside jacket pocket!! Feeling the urge, and the fact they were reduced in price, I dropped my plan on buying the most repulsive looking sausages I could find, and I made my way to the checkout and bought them.

A word on the packaging

Now much the same as when I watch, let's say, The Z Factor, Just sing!!, If you are good, you are good, If you are bad, you are bad,

And that's pretty much the same how I feel packaging, I don't want to see your face on the stuff I'm going to eat, nor am I in the slightest bit interested in How, When and Where. I expect and demand animal welfare as standard anyway! But if you can be bothered to read the packaging on these, you'll be told everything you need to know, and you'll even get a little picture of the three of them too.

So to the sausages...

Meat Content:

84% Of British Outdoor Reared, RSPCA Assured Pork, There's some gluten free bread crumbs in there, but I think that's pretty good

Flavour:

Even on the eye, I had already made up my mind that these would taste good, And on reading the ingredients list, Paprika, Salt, Rubbed Sage ( Not just chopped, Rubbed ) Black Pepper, Natural casings,

They say, on the blurb on the packaging, for best results, To Grill, Except Josh who apparently likes to BBQ everything, But as it was 7am, the idea of firing up the BBQ didn't float my boat, I vouched for cooking them in the oven, on a tray, greaseproof, NO added oil, I wanted to see how much these beauties oozed added fat, naff sausage always give up their fat, 30 minutes on 195c, Perfect.

Virtually no loss of fat at all after cooking, tasted fantastic, dare I use the word moist? That's the sausage not me, not over salted as you sometimes get, good hit of pepper, not unlike a Cumberland sausage in flavour, not over powered by sage as is often the case when using sage, My step daughter gave them 8/10 trust me when I say, that's pretty blooming good.

Texture:

I could tell from the raw product, that these had some substance to them, I mean like real, " OMG, these are full of meat " when you can see little bulges of meaty goodness wanting to burst out from under the casing, Like Arnold Schwarzenegger's muscles under a ridiculously tight fitting shirt, you just know that there ain't going to be much wrong, And they didn't disappoint, meaty, packed with good quality meat too, not over minced, just the right amount of fat keeping them real juicy too.

Vital Statistics:

Average weight raw = 60g

Average weight when cooked = 55g

Meat content = 84%

Value for Money:

Well for a pack of 400g, 6 sausages they should have been £3, that's 50p a sausage, not cheap by any stretch, but given that some supermarkets are selling their own brand sausage for this price, I'd buy these instead, And the fact that The Jolly Hog guys ain't going to be getting the £3 from the supermarket either, I'd check them out directly if I were you.

The Fell Clan Taste Test Verdict:

A Mighty Meaty Banger.

The " Ahhh Bisto " Factor:

Exactly what you'd expect, to be pacing the kitchen for the 30 minutes waiting for the blooming things to cook, smelt fantastic

The next day cold sausage test:

Seriously!!! 6 sausages, 3 people!! there wasn't going to be a " next day cold test "

And Finally, Esther:

I applaud The Jolly Hog guys, for making an outstanding banger, but I can't help thinking the £3 should go directly to them, and not, to the money grabbing, corporate bast........ I'll stop there...

Please check Jon's website if you love proper food: JON FELL - CHEF

Adrian Colling - Filey - Plain Pork Sausage

In the late summer of 2020 I managed to escape for a few days to the scenic North Yorkshire coast. A jolly nice time was had by all, and of course I brought home some sausages.

The area has a wealth of proper butchers and we visited quite a few. There was always a warm welcome, and the customer service was invariably excellent. We heard stories of uncovered beautiful Victorian tiles, nationally famous pies, products named by TV viewers, and even a delivery sheep, so please do have a chat with staff when you pop into any of the outlets around the Yorkshire Coast – you may be amazed with something you hear and the butchers love retelling their tales (but I will not be held responsible for the occasional embellishment or complete myth!).

Where To Find Them:

Visit the small but perfectly-formed fishing village of Filey and when you're done with the beach, the chippy and the penny arcade head for Union Street. You can't miss this attractive, eye-catching butcher's shop with its blue and white awning and colour-coordinated bollard and butcher's bike. Smashing. If you're using SausNav type in YO14 9DZ. Be careful if you're parking close by, the traffic wardens appear to be very predatory.

Opening Hours:

During the COVID period daily opening hours are 0700 to 1500, but “when it's all over” this should revert to the following:

Monday – 0700 to 1700

Tuesday – 0700 to 1700

Wednesday – 0700 to 1600

Thursday – 0700 to 1700

Friday – 0700 to 1700

Saturday – 0700 to 1600

Sunday – Closed

Also bear in mind that Collings close for a winter break each year, from mid-January to the start of February. All right for some eh!

Stanwatch:

If you're new to Rate My Sausage a Stan is a member of staff who potters around in the background when you visit, usually with a handful of absolutely lethal looking knives. Scary. At Collings we saw a good selection of stans working hard to provide Filey with its quality meat products, nice.

Flavour:

Although labelled as Plain Pork, these were a mixture of pork and beef, which I forgot until I tasted them. At first bite I thought there was some kind of problem, the flavour was not what I was expecting, it was deeper and more salty Checking the notes from the shop there it was, pork and beef! The flavour is pleasant and ever so savoury as it stands but personally I do prefer just one meat to be included. A pork banger tends to be nice and sweet, beef darker and hotter. These sausages are good though, and in a league many, many levels above the likes of the bloody awful Richmonds rubbish.

Texture:

Short and stout is what you get, much like me. These sausages take on slightly different shapes and sizes in the pan, which we love. The skins are great, they are natural (meaning no splitting at the first touch of heat) and give that authentic “cutting into a proper banger” pleasure. The filling is crumbly with decent sized lumps of filling, as always we crave a coarser texture but most people don't. A slight down point is the weight loss during cooking which seems on the high side, but that's just a minor criticism of an otherwise cracking product.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 74 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 52 grams

Meat Content = 75 %

The meat content of these particular sausages is an equal split between pork and beef, although the shop can vary these numbers according to individual customer requests.

Value For Money:

£3.20 for 6 sausages weighing 446 grams. This works out as £7.17 per kg and 53p per banger.

We rate this as very good value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

A decent aroma emanated from these sausages, certainly enough to make your mouth water more than a bag full of Opal Fruits.

And Finally, Esther:

Lovely, homely, filling bangers. Buy some!

GH Porter Provisions - Newark - Newark Sausage

Porter's butchers, or GH Porter Provisions as the are formally known, is a lovely looking shop with a very attractive dual aspect frontage, in the heart of Newark. They've been providing tasty produce since 1890. It's unique in Rate My Sausage history as it's the place where the idea was hatched, the cradle of sausage rating as we know it. Many years ago, as I took my little old Mum out on a day trip to one of her old stomping grounds, the old girl wanted some sausages, and led the way to Porters. I was impressed by the range available from this proper butcher and wondered if it would be interesting to compare different varieties...

Of course it is a very worthwhile endeavour. We began comparing butchers to supermarkets but quickly found that there is simply no comparison. These days we try to promote quality British producers of high quality products, and support British agriculture where possible. But enough of that.

Porter's Newark sausages are a unique blend of pork, cheese and apples. They are truly local, with the pork from a nearby farm, the rich Stilton cheese produced just a couple of miles away, and the Bramley apples from a Newark garden, obtained by swapping them for bacon. Quid pro quo is alive and well here. With such splendid and local ingredients the sausage just had to be christened the “Newark”, and it's unique.

This is an important business for Newark, and is run by the archetypal jolly butcher, Tom – he will happily chat with you on all things meaty and local and has a wealth of interesting facts, figures and tales to impart. For instance, did you know that Porters products are exported – via Fortnum & Masons. Yes really! There's a website for you to peruse too: PORTERS WEBSITE

Where To Find Them:

Porters are located in the market place in Newark. Turn until you are facing the church spire then head towards the right hand corner nearest the church, and the shop is prominently situated on a corner. Can't miss it. The interior has been kept old-fashioned and nostalgic, and exudes warmth and customer service.

Opening Hours (temporary due to pandemic):

Monday – 0900 to 1400

Tuesday – 0900 to 1400

Wednesday – 0900 to 1400

Thursday – 0900 to 1400

Friday – 0900 to 1400

Saturday – 0900 to 1500

Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:

The shop is usually crewed by helpful female staff, but now and then one of the Stans makes an appearance to talk with a customer. A rare sighting, but a good one. Look out for Tom!

Flavour:

The flavour of the Newark sausage is almost overpowering, but not quite. They cuddle and smother and hug your taste buds providing a deeply flavoursome experience. The cheese is the most prominent taste backed up with quality sweet pork and the apple, it's unusual for a sausage but I bloody loved them. The one slight thing I would like to see is more tangy apple to slice through the super Stilton savouriness. Delicious.

Texture:

On a positive note the filling is three quarters on the road to perfect, it's crumbly, quite chunky, and you can see the individual components. Just look at the sliced and the fork pictures! Feels great in the mouth too, as the sausage mixes and melds nicely. But there is a problem. At Rate My Sausage we have always used a frying pan with a little oil to prepare the bangers, we think that's the proper way to do it. The Newark sausages really struggled in the pan and several of the English hog casings split asunder, despite the pan being on the lowest heat on the smallest gas ring. Did we have some rogue bangers, or would this happen again? We will be buying these sausages again because they taste lovely, so we'll try grilling next time (much against our principles!).

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 76 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 64 grams

Meat Content = I forgot to find out, sorry...

Value For Money:

£3.65 for 6 sausages weighing 457 grams. This works out as £7.99 per kg and 61p per banger.

After much consideration of all the facts we rate this as good value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

My notes say “AMAZING aroma in pan, rich deep cheesy porkiness. Obvs.” I think that sums it up nicely.

And Finally, Esther:

Great flavour, wonderful texture, be careful how you cook them...

Richard's Quality Meats - Newark - Pork & Black Pudding Sausage

We've lived in the attractive and historic market town of Newark for a year now and still haven't reviewed the local sausages. This obviously had to change so the plan is to tour the proper butchers in the town over the coming weeks - there are quite a few of them - and rate their bangers. First up are the pork and black pudding sausages from Richard's Quality Meats.

Richard's is a small but attractive shop, kept spotless as you would hope. They carry a huge variety of sausages so pretty much any palate can be accommodated. During the summer months they also offer a good range of BBQ packs, and judging by the reviews already online these are good quality and a good price. One thing not included in these special packs are their Vesuvius sausages, made with Indian fire chillies, specially developed by Richard to shoot down in flames (literally) those “I can eat any amount of spice” annoying kind of BBQ show-offs. Wow, they are hot, I was fortunate enough to try a couple and they are not for the faint hearted. If you like a spicy banger but one that won't set your eyebrows on fire, try the Three Amigos variety, made with three different chillies and peppers.

But those sausages are for another day. How did we rate the Pork & Black Pudding variety? Read on sausage fans...

Where To Find Them:

Tucked away up a small back passage in the middle of Newark is where you'll locate Richard's Quality Meats. The actual alley is called Clinton Arms Court, but if you can find Wilko's you're in the right place. Or if you're in the market place look for Barclays bank and head to its left.

Opening Hours:

Monday – Closed

Tuesday – 0800 to 1600

Wednesday – 0800 to 1600

Thursday – 0800 to 1600

Friday – 0800 to 1600

Saturday – 0800 to 1530

Sunday - Closed

Stanwatch:

There are always a few Stans and Stanettes busily beavering in the background in this shop, properly turned out in whites, and all friendly and welcoming.

Flavour:

The pleasantly savoury flavour is well balanced between the two main ingredients. The pork is obviously good cuts, the opposite end of the quality spectrum to the pork we found in last week's Co-op review. You can see the nuggets of black pudding in the filling and it's a traditional accompaniment to sausages on the Full English plate. They go together like Mork and Mindy. Or salt and vinegar. Or Colleen Rooney and Rebecca Vardy. Oh, hold on....not that last one. This is a tasty sausage.

Texture:

Very good. Take a look at the “sliced” picture. Here at RMS we like our sausage fillings chunky and lumpy and these bangers are a pretty good attempt. Again, look at the Co-op variety from last week, there's really no comparison. It's like parking a Lotus next to a Datsun, one is hand-made by an individual who really knows and understands what they're doing, the other mass-produced on a production line. The skins are natural, as they should be. A proper casing really adds something to a sausage, the snap/crack when you cut them, and the effect of the frying pan heat tends to bend and bow them in interesting and unique ways. Ever wondered why low quality products like Richmonds sausages retain their perfect straight shape? It's because the collagen skins don't react in any way, except maybe disappearing completely. You can't say the same for this particular sausage.

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 73 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 58 grams

Meat Content = 75 %

Value For Money:

We got a special deal here but going by the book the cost would be £5.21 for 8 sausages weighing 582 grams. This works out as £8.95 per kg and 65p per banger.

We rate this as good value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

Wonderful aroma as these were frying in the pan, filled the house and made me feel impatient to eat them, always a good sign. I do feel sorry for people who cook sausages in the oven, they're missing out on the great, traditional smell of frying bangers...

And Finally, Esther:

To paraphrase the great John Motson's iconic commentary on a Tony Currie goal, this is “A quality sausage from a quality butcher.” Buy some!

The Decent Company - Abergavenny - Pork Sausage

Is it too soon to mention Christmas? In my humble opinion it definitely is. Having said that, is it too soon to mention Sausage Of The Year? Weeelll....maybe. But you might well be looking at it right here...

Do the names Tom and Barbara mean anything to you? They were the main characters in the classic sitcom The Good Life, in which a couple left the rat race behind and tried to live a self sufficient life. The story of The Decent Company has echoes of this story, in that the founder, Martha Roberts, also quit a life of spreadsheets and meetings to become, in her own words “A former suburban, corporate woman, gone rogue!” They share values and beliefs but the difference between the two is that Martha shares her vision, and the meat that it creates, with a loyal following of extremely satisfied customers. The most common way to purchase the end product is via the half pig, quarter pig or taster boxes. I'd love to describe Martha's life and her smallholding to you but it's done much better on her own website (a link can be found further down the page).

Before ordering my quarter of a pig I did a little research online, and asked people for their opinion on the sausages – here are some of those views:

“We like them so much we bought a year's supply!”

“I highly recommend them (and Martha's pig-keeping skills/high welfare standards).”

“Oh yes, loved them. And reordered.”

Previous customers seem happy enough eh?

Where To Find Them:

The Decent Company is of course a real-life smallholding, but you can only purchase their piggy products online. The website is beautifully designed and gives a great insight into the high welfare standards employed. As it's such a small scale operation the meat is not available all day every day, and becomes available only when the current broods are ready. For this reason I would seriously advise contacting Martha via the order form on the website, or via Twitter (@MarthaRoberts). The online form also let's you know when the next batch of pork will be available.

If for no other reason, visit this website for lots of lovely pictures of piglets doing what piglets love to do: THE DECENT COMPANY

Opening Hours:

The internet is open 24 hours a day, every day, except Easter Sunday. Early closing Thursday afternoons.

Flavour:

The pork from the mostly Gloucester Old Spot pigs is so sweet, it provides a prominent yet delicate flavour here. My notes say “Absolutely bloody lovely”. There's seasoning here but it's subtle, just enough to give the taste a boost but not so that the meat is overpowered. It's a smooth, old-fashioned deliciousness that I loved, and frankly can hardly wait to get the next lot in the frying pan!

Texture:

The filling is quite fine but beautifully firm at the same time, you're hard pushed to squish these through your fork (unlike poor quality offerings from the likes of Richmonds, Iceland, etc). In the mouth the sausage breaks apart allowing thousands of tasty bobbles of flavoursome pork to run riot. The skins snap just perfectly when cut, and squeak in the mouth. Near perfection...

Vital Statistics:

Average Weight Uncooked = 59 grams

Average Weight Cooked = 48 grams

Meat Content = 85 %

Value For Money:

Our sausages came as part of our “quarter pig” box so it's impossible to separate their price. The webite though lists a kilogram of sausages for £10, so I'll use that. We ordered the quarter pig box, at £90 which iis a good price for the large amount and variety of meat that you receive.

£3.51 for 6 sausages weighing 351 grams. This works out as £10.00 per kg and 58p per banger. Far from extortionate for such a quality item.

We rate this as fabulous value for money.

The "Aah, Bisto" Factor:

We've always fried sausages for our reviews, and this time was no different. As I've recently moved house I am still trying to get the hang of using a gas hob (had a couple of disasters so far too), so these sausages were fried very slowly. Oh my goodness, oh my goodness....the whole house was filled with the most mouth-watering aroma, which just got better as the bangers browned. Lovely.

The Imaginatively Titled Next Day Cold Sausage Test:

Yeah, right. You think any of these beauties would survive overnight? No chance.

And Finally, Esther:

From start to finish there is nothing not to like about The Decent Company and its products. Sausage Of The Year? Maybe. Martha Roberts is a food heroine.