Saturday 22 September 2012

Sweetlands (Dunmow) - Olde English


Sweetlands of Dunmow do indeed produce some really good sausages. We liked their "Flitch Sausage", so I called in yesterday and picked up some Olde English to try next. Well eyes down, look in...


These sausages are made on the premises at Dunmow and we're informed they contain 75% pork meat sourced from a multi award winning local pork supplier at Great Garnetts.  Good natural casings are used too, and they are yet another very good looking raw sausage, all tied properly, and as you know, we believe presentation really matters. 

Now let's not beat about the bush on these, they cooked up really well and tasted great.  The flavour which had well enough spicy oomph to interest the palette with a texture that is medium to course which indeed gave a good meaty chew.  There was a definite crispness biting through the skins in to the juicy sausage meat inside. They're a tasty succulent sausage indeed...



I'm sure you will like these, so if you are ever in Dunmow and call in to Sweetlands to buy some, tell them Sausage Review told you!

See our full review and others at www.sausagereview.co.uk

Tuesday 18 September 2012

Durrants Farm (Margaretting) - Cumberland Sausage


Emily Stockwell of Durrants Farm, an artisan sausage producer based in Margaretting, Essex is passionate about only using good ingredients.  No preservatives, no gristle, no skin or connective tissue, just carefully hand prepared quality cuts of pork from her own rare breed pigs get in to her sausages.  


Now these cumberlands are "BIG", and I'll say again, "BIG", weighing in at 110g on average...and when you think about it, each sausage is virtually a "quarter pounder"!  But don't be put off by their size, they cook up beautifully and taste wonderful.  The texture is medium to course, slightly crumbly and with the nicely browned natural hog skins this makes for a really good bite and a satisfying chew.


85%-87% meat, good quality hog casings none of which split or shrunk incidentally, a distinctive peppery flavour, and above all, the "BIG" meatiness!

See our full review and others at www.sausagereview.co.uk

Monday 17 September 2012

Durrants Farm - Chipolatas


Durrants Farm, an artisan sausage producer based in Margaretting, Essex. Operating from a family run small holding their speciality is "homemade sausages" from their own rare breed pigs...  



Emily Stockwell tells me that she is really particular about what goes in the mix. Only good ingredients are used, no preservatives, no gristle, no skin or connective tissue, along with carefully hand prepared quality cuts of pork get in to her sausages.  Home made seasoning to Emily's own recipe! 

87% meat approximately we're informed, good quality sheeps casings and a tried and tested mix that delivers.  Now cooked up these sausages are a delight.  Medium firm with a medium course texture that gives a really good bite and chew.  The flavour is mild but the meatiness is BIG!  We like these!

See our full review and others at www.sausagereview.co.uk

Saturday 15 September 2012

Meatline (Maldon) - Welsh Dragon


The victors of the recent 2012 Maldon Best of British Sausage Awards, Meatline of Maldon, Essex with their winning Welsh Dragon Sausages have finally reached our review...  


These sausages are really something and although they contain not a single trace of dragon meat (yes yes ha ha!), the "hint of" sweet chilli does produce some fire.  It's not all heat and flames here though, the texture and bite make for a very satisfying experience. There is a good succulence and yes OK the flavour of the leeks is a little overshadowed by the chilli which does linger for quite a while after, but these are certainly an interesting sausage you will enjoy.

See our full review and others at www.sausagereview.co.uk

Monday 10 September 2012

Churchgate - Classic Pork


The Classic Pork is a superb example of a properly made and presented traditional pork sausage. We don't need to say much more.  When you get a chance to try them they'll speak for themselves... 



More than 80% meat with traditional ingredients loaded in to nicely filled quality hog casings makes for a very good sausage.  A medium smooth texture with a lovely bite. The skins cook up really well and we were suitably impressed!  A really great tasting traditional sausage.



Mayfields Farm, Sheering Road, Old Harlow Essex CM17 0JP

See our full review and others at www.sausagereview.co.uk

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Crakeside (Ulverston) - Cumberland


Sourced a good looking 58cms of Cumberland from a small local shop in the Lake District today...pretty good taste and the sort of sausage we like....


The sausage, produced by the Crakeside Meat Co Ltd of Ulverston Cumbria, OK it was a bit long to treat as just one for our review so we measured and twisted up 4 x 120mm individuals and a short one from it for our sampling.  

Cooked up they're good meaty and succulent but unfortunately weren't as flavoursome as we were expecting.  Good spice though but they could do with a bit more oomph we thought.  The skins were really good and browned very well. Smooth to medium texture, with a medium bite.  We all liked these with our mash, peas and gravy!

See our full review and others at www.sausagereview.co.uk