Walls Sausages. We know and trust the name don’t we. Walls make good sausages, and have done so for as long as we can remember. But do they? Do they really still provide our familiar family favourite banger? Having tried their Classic Pork sausages last weekend, I was shocked at the quality. And not in a pleasant way. Any sausages that are square when they come out of the pack have proved to be rather disappointing so far, and that trend continued here.
Of course, if you have a look at their website you may spot some clues which may go some way to explaining this much-loved sausage‘s decline. The Frequently Asked Questions page contains many identical FAQs, and answers, as those on the Richmonds and Porkinson websites. And if you want to contact “Walls”? You write to the exact same address as you would for those other two brands. Walls is now owned by the ubiquitous Kerry Foods. What a shame.
Not only are the sausages….“not my favourites”…. (I was going to write ”rubbish“ but that may have attracted unwelcome attention), but the meat in them (if you can find any) is imported from all over Europe. You wouldn’t catch Impsons, Papworths, van Pelts, et al, using foreign meat in their bangers, so why do Kerry Foods? Not that they will admit it either. Check out these two articles, and draw your own conclusions about the company’s evasive stance:
Walls-Made-In-Germany
Walls-Imported-Meat
Exactly how including the country of origin of meat on packaging would increase costs, I have no idea? Any suggestions? Anyhow, onto the sausages:
Meat Content:
Take a look at the label, which lists Pork Belly 40.5%, AND Pork Shoulder 21%. So that means 61% meat content, no? I am hugely sceptical about this figure, as the sausages seemed to contain about as much meat as a cup of tea. Walls make the claim though, so it must be true, right?
Flavour:A sweet, peppery flavour with overtones of fried onions. Not unpleasant. Also not going to be on my plate again. Another of those sausages which would be part of the Kids Meal Deal!!!! £1.29!!!! at any generic warehouse play venue. Serve with cold chips and baked beans that have a crust on them.
Texture:Bland. Look at the six slices, and try to spot ANY variation in colour, texture, appearance….anything. Did you see anything? No, me neither. What a terrible shame that the famous Walls name, carrying a reputation for good products, built up over many years, has now been hijacked by Kerry Foods to sell this slurry.
Shrinkage:Average weight uncooked - 57g
Average weight cooked - 48g
Shrinkage - 15%
Pretty good stats for a cheap product.
Value For Money:
Eight sausages, weighing 452g - this works out as a price of £4.65 per kg, or 26p per snorker. And that’s too much.
