Sausage and Bread

Japadogs - extraordinary!

2011-09-10T10:12:00.004+01:00

Check out these beauties! Gourmet hot dogs with Japanese condiments and garnishes. A brilliant idea. I seriously need to try one of these!

via Sherman's Food Adventures

Sabrina reviews Big Apple Hot Dogs, Old Street

2011-09-01T19:17:00.002+01:00

These look absolutely amazing! Have to try them soon!

Link: Sabrina's Passions

Bratwurst, Berwick St.

2011-07-26T13:35:00.004+01:00

Apologies for the lack of posts in recent months. Unfortunately the blog has dropped a little on my list of priorities but I haven't forgotten about it!

And what better way to revive Sausage and Bread than with a brand new review? When you see the exterior of this newly opened establishment in Soho, you can see why I felt the need to start posting again...

Yep, The Bratwurst does indeed appear to be an honest attempt to bring the classic German streetfood to the UK. This branch (the second in the UK chain, the other is in Broadgate Circle) only opened recently - early July, I believe - so is very much a new face on the Soho scene.

Will it finally crack the secret of being a sausage and bread food retailer in the UK or will it follow in the footsteps of Olly Olson and The Gourmet Hotdog Company, and fail?

The menu starts promisingly with a list of half a dozen authentic German sausages (made by award winning butchers, the signage tells us). Besides the classic pork Bratwurst you can also choose beef, turkey, cheesey, oniony and boiled variations.

I opted for a 'double meal deal' consisting of a Bratwurst, a Mettwurst (smoked pork and beef sausage served boiled), brötchen and sauerkraut.

Let's deal with the sides first: The sauerkraut was very pungent and sour which guess is how it's supposed to be. The vinegar sharpness made it perfect for cutting through the heavier meat. The brötchen was fresh and tasty; Crispy on the outside, cracking open to reveal a fluffy and non-industrial interior. Nice to see that they have paid attention to the bread here.

The sausages were both very good indeed. The Bratwurst (cut into pieces by a special sausage cutting machine) was nicely browned yet still drippingly moist on the inside. Lightly seasoned with a very thin casing that made for very good eating.

The Mettwurst was a surprise. Even though it is served boiled the sausage is actually very dense and dark. It reminded me a lot of an Italian salsicce. Slightly saltier than the Brat, it was still very moist and bursting with juices with every bite.

What completes the meal is of the course the essential German yellow mustard - wonderfully mild and moreish and the perfect accompaniment to the sausages.

All in all, The Bratwurst is a success and definitely worth a visit. The question is will the people of London frequent it enough? It sells fast food that is far and away better than what you get in more famous fast food chains. But the store resembles a coffee shop, or boutique eatery. So is it trying to to lure customers away from EAT and Pret when it should perhaps be targetting the KFC/Nandos/McDonalds crowd?

The other meal options on offer at The Bratwurst seem a little confused and odd (Bratwurst salad, anyone? Sausage and nachos?) They clearly want to cover some extra bases to appeal to customers aren't grabbed by the conventional style of serving. But in my opinion they should just stay true to the classic streefood style (and perhaps start offering chips and mayo).

5 out of 5
Let's hope it survives!

Website: The Bratwurst

Malmesbury King named Best British Banger

2010-10-29T16:01:00.000+01:00

The British magazine Country Life has just held a nationwide competition to find the UK's best sausage and the banger that emerged victorious was the magnificently-named Malmesbury King from Wiltshire.

The speciality of butcher Michael Thomas, the sausage is said to contain coarse pork shoulder flavoured with rosemary, thyme, parsley and ginger.

Sounds gorgeous. The winning sausage will now appear on the menu in Bar Boulud in the Mandarin Oriental hotel in London (in a sandwich, I hope!).

This, the only coarse-cut sausage to make the shortlist, is made to Mr Thomas's own recipe, using a shoulder-cut of pork (specially sourced from pigs with good conformation), minced just once and hand-mixed with rosemary, thyme, parsley and a sprinkling of ginger, before being piped into natural hog casings. The judges deemed the Malmesbury King to have the most pleasing, rustic, herby appearance and a satisfying, piquant taste. Mr Thomas now has the honour of the Malmesbury King being served in Bar Boulud.

Link: Country Life

Greggs (nationwide)

2010-10-13T17:03:00.000+01:00

Photo: avtost

This is an interesting one. Greggs the Bakers are present on just about every high street in Britain. Compared to the chains I've previously reviewed, Greggs is much more widespread and prevalent but it is perceived by many as being of inferior quality to say, Pret a Manger or Eat.

This is unfair I think. Their products may be made on a large scale but that is not to say they are bad and in fact studying the Greggs' nutritional information shows that for a number of items Pret a Manger's equivalents are actually less healthy and higher in calories and fat (see the two companies' egg or tuna sandwiches).

Back in February Greggs officially launched a new breakfast range but it was only recently that I noticed the new menu and was able to try their sausage breakfast roll

What a pleasant surprise. In most small cafes, sausages are cooked, allowed to cool, stored in a chilled cabinet and then reheated when served. This results in sausages with a compressed, airless, paste-like texture and a tremendous amount of taste and subtlety is lost.

In contrast, the Greggs sausages must have been cooked fresh that morning. They were wonderfully moist inside, with a springy, satisfying, tasty filling. I wouldn't say they were gourmet sausages and the salt content is perhaps on the high side (3.8 grams for the entire roll), but for what is in effect a mass produced sandwich (on a par with a McDonalds hamburger) the quality and flavour are impressive.

The bread roll is, as you would expect from a bakery, fresh and pleasant to eat. The only condiment choices are tomato or brown sauce but they are genuine Heinz ketchup and HP - another plus point.

All in all, this is a great ambassador for the sausage and bread combo. Importantly, we are talking here about a good quality sausage and bread roll that can be bought on just about every high street in the UK. That's something I've been hoping for since I started this blog, all those years ago!

5 out of 5. A very good sandwich with top marks for availability.

Trailer - 'A Connecticut Hot Dog Tour'

2010-10-12T15:26:00.004+01:00

Well, who would have thought that one day I would be posting a trailer on here? :-)

This video was sent to me from CToriginals.com to promote their new DVD 'A Connecticut Hot Dog Tour'. it looks like a fantastic little independently-made documentary about the many and varied types of hot dogs that are available in Connecticut, and the love affair people of New England have with the classic sausage and bread combo.

As it's a trailer, we only get to see glimpses of the various hot dogs that appear in the film but they do look delicious. From the webiste:

From a hot dog boat that travels the Connecticut River to a roadside shack built in 1872 that allows customers to carve their names on the walls, A Connecticut Hot Dog Tour, Directed by Mark Kotlinski, visits some of Connecticut’s distinctive hot dog stands.

A Connecticut Hot Dog Tour travels across the state to visit outstanding hot dog shops like Blackie’s Hot Dog Stand in Cheshire – where the family’s secret hot relish recipe transformed the former gas station into a hot dog institution that’s been around since 1928. We go from Capitol Lunch in New Britain to sample the “meat sauce” that’s made it famous since 1929, to the flame-grilled hot dogs at Glenwood Drive-In in Hamden, to the original Frankie’s location in Waterbury, an open air stand where the local hot dog franchise got it’s start.

This trailer along with a few selected clips form the DVD can be seen on CToriginals' Youtube channel.

Photo: Spike's Junkyard Dogs, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

2010-08-25T18:30:00.002+01:00

What a wonderful image, taken by BlueisCool, found on Flickr.

Website: Spike's Junkyard Dogs

Make Mine, Dean Street

2010-08-19T16:53:00.002+01:00

makeMINE is popular sandwich shop with the Soho crowd. Most afternoons you will invariably see more than one of their purple and white bags being carried back to an office somewhere and there is usually a queue extending out the front door.

The shop is like a Subway but much better in that you choose a sandwich from a set menu and it is made fresh for you. But their combinations are much better and the quality a lot higher than that of the ubiquitous sandwich chain. They also do soups and salads.

The sausage sandwich is part of their breakfast menu and only required a short wait before I was able to take it away.

What we have is a couple of moderately good quality, small Cumberland sausages sliced, in toasted granary bread for £2.25. It was overall a curiously boring sausage sarnie. The sausages have been cooked some time ago and reheated so they have a pasty, compressed texture to them. The bread was quite tasteless being a generic, catering granary variety. There was nothing particularly bad about it - to be sure you will find worse - but then again there was nothing really good about it either.

2 out of 5.

Randall and Aubin, Brewer Street

2010-06-07T11:13:00.003+01:00

Randall and Aubin has one of the most appealing shop fronts in Soho, if not the whole of London. Originally a butcher's shop, it is now known to denizens of Soho as a lively place for great seafood, wine as well as rotisserie items such as roast chicken, not to mention great french fries.

It has a wonderful, open, bustling atmosphere and is that rare (in London) combination of being a casual and accessible restaurant yet also high quality.

Personally I've always liked their fresh seafood selection more than the hot menu but with a sausage baguette on the menu, how could I possibly resist?

The offering is actually a sausage baguette plus french fries for £5.00 (takeaway) and on balance I think this is a good deal; Randall and Aubin's fries are hard to beat.

The sausage baguette is substantial and good quality but it's underwhelming. It's a case of the product not living up to the promise of such an appealing venue.

The 2 sausages (on the main restaurant menu they are described as pork and honey sausages) are unembellished with any herbs or outstanding flavourings. The darkness of the cooked outer casings suggest they are deep fried (perhaps alongside the fries?) rather than griddled. The addition of plain sliced tomato helps but overall there is a feeling of pallid dryness and a lack of 'oomph', flavour-wise. More delicate cooking might extract more out of the sausages.

For £5 you do get a very satisfying sausage, bread and fries combo that is hard to fault for value for money but one that is, I'm afraid, unlikely to get your taste buds excited.

3 out of 5 (1 point for the fries)

Link: Randall and Aubin

Oh no! Goodbye, Farmer Brown! (Il Castelletto, New Row)

2010-03-18T14:30:00.006Z

This is a truly devastating revelation. The little known, out-of-the-way cafe that (in my opinion) served the best straightforward sausage sandwich in central London is no more.

It has been replaced by a generic 'Italian' cafe called Il Castelleto which, at the time of reviewing, had not even fully removed the old signage from its shopfront.

Once I was over the shock of Farmer Brown's demise, I decided to try the new establishment out in the hope that they had retained the same supplier of sausages:

They hadn't. I'm afraid what would once have been a delicious sandwich filled with two fat Cumberland sausages, has been replaced by a bland sarnie indistinguishable from those bought in many other Soho cafes. Microwaved at my request (because the shop's griddle had not been turned on and would have taken 5 minutes to heat up), the sausage was your usual salty, flavourless cafe fare, and the bread was no more than ordinary.

1 out of 5. RIP Farmer Brown. you will be sorely missed.

Caffe Milan, Shaftesbury Avenue

2010-02-18T12:21:00.003Z

First of all, I apologize for the lack of updates recently. After a spell out of the country, I'm finally back in London and what better way to brighten up a drab, winter morning than with a sausage sarnie?

Caffe Milan is located on the Covent Garden/Soho border, a few steps from Cambridge Circus. The first impression when you walk in is how clean and modern the interior is for a cafe. The menu covers the usual bases with the addition of a small salad bar. Overall the impression is that everything seems carefully prepared, although their on-display panini look a little meagre with their fillings.

But what of their toasted sausage sandwich on brown bread? Well, the sausage is what I would call a 'catering Cumberland'. It has the speckled appearance of a well herbed sausage but lacks little in texture and flavour. It's quite generic. What can't be faulted though is generous serving of two fat sausages in each sandwich. Many establishments try to fob you off with one sausage cut into slices but not here. For £2.20 it's a good value, if unremarkable sarnie from a well-maintained establishment.

2.5 our of 5 Good value for money

Tokyo Sausage

2009-12-04T12:05:00.000Z

A wonderful little video sent in to me from readers Mike & JJ.

Commuting on the London Tube is certainly nothing like this.

The awesome world of Vienesas (Chilean hot dogs)

2009-09-27T23:44:00.006+01:00

I first heard about these bad boys from watching a show called Anderw Zimmern's Bizarre World, a food travelogue show on the Discovery Travel Channel.

Vienesas are based on a standard bun and beef sausage foundation which is then massively loaded up with toppings and condiments. By all accounts they are a very popular fast food in Chile and for me, a good enough reason alone to visit the country.

One of the most popular varieties is the Completo which is stacked with salsa verde, chopped tomatoes and mayo. Check out the website of Domino, a popular chain of hot dog restaurants in Santiago, for a full list of varieties that include such excellent names as the Dinámica, the Irlandesa, and the Rodeo.

Read more about the 'complete Completo' experience in this article by Adam Fuller from Santiago magazine.

Time to stock up on some salsa verde, methinks.

Check out the video below to see a Completo in the wild:

And watch Anthony Bourdin's take on the Chilean hot dog phenomenon on his show 'No Reservations' with a dog that actually looks excessive even for me:

A word from the Hot Dog Council

2009-09-15T07:01:00.001+01:00

Who or what is the Hot Dog Council, you may well ask? Well...

"The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council is a project of the American Meat Institute Foundation. Established in 1994, the Council conducts scientific research to benefit hot dog and sausage manufacturers.

The Council also serves as an information resource to consumers and media on questions related to quality, safety, nutrition and preparation of hot dogs and sausages."

Check out their homepage here and be sure not to miss the video on the front page for a truly astonishing performance from Mr. Frank Furter!

Sausage and Bread is taking the summer off

2009-08-10T00:16:00.002+01:00

There'll be no new reviews for a while as Sausage and Bread goes on its summer holidays. There'll be occasional news postings and I hope to be back in full review mode later in the year. In the meantime, do please keep sending in your tips and recommendations!

British Barbeque Festival 2009

2009-07-19T09:38:00.001+01:00

If you're looking for something to do next Sunday, why not check out the British Barbeque Festival which is taking place at Laverstoke Park Farm‎ in Overton, Hampshire.

Plenty of country fair activities will be taking place including buffalo & hog roasts, live jazz, farm tours, bungee run and coconut shies and chefs Ashley Palmer-Watts (The Fat Duck), Eric Chavot (Captial) and Antony Worrall Thompson will be making an appearance.

The event of most interest to readers, though, is probably the British BBQ Championship: a three level (Pro, National and Novice) cook-off competition that promises to be a real treat for BBQ lovers - and no doubt some decent sausages will be available too.

Check out the official website here.

4 Market Place

2009-06-26T17:53:00.000+01:00

Market Place is one of London's pleasant surprises. If you don't know it, it's a small pedestrianized precinct just north of Oxford Street. Within one block you go from the sometimes unbearable crowds and tacky shopfronts of Oxford Street to a little oasis of calm that's packed with decent places to eat, drink or have a coffee.

There are several restaurants and cafes to choose from but one place that's quite easy to miss is 4 Market Place.

4 Market Place is a rare thing: It's a basement cafe. If you were to walk past quickly, you might not even realize it was there. I really like the novelty of having to walk down some steps to get to the front door. It gives the place an air of clandestine exclusivity you don't often get with cafes. So it's a great shame the toasted sausage sandwich on brown I ordered didn't live up to the promising location.

It wasn't a bad sandwich, just mediocre. The sausage was quite salty and lacking in flavour. The toasted bread bland. On the plus side, the price (£1.80) was a bargain for central London. Just think what an amazing place this would be if it served really great food.

2 out of 5

Sainsbury's 8 Butcher's Choice Cumberland Sausages: Avoid!

2009-05-03T16:27:00.004+01:00

Just a brief review of these sausages. They are half price at Sainsbury's at the moment. They should be avoided.

Grilling the 8 medium sized sausages yielded an unbelievable amount of fat (approx. half a cupful) and the cooked sausages were almost totally tasteless. Not a hint of pork and barely any of pepper. Please avoid!

Westfield Shopping Centre, Shepherds Bush

2009-04-12T16:07:00.000+01:00

Westfield Shopping Centre opened in 2008 and is supposedly the largest city-centre mall in Europe. As well as the 265 retail units, the mall also boasts 50 food outlets. The numbers sound promising but how easy would it be to get myself some decent sausage and bread in this colosseum of consumerism?

Despite its size, the mall is actually quite easy to walk around as it's arranged like a figure of eight, with a couple of offshoots here and there. The choice of places to eat is varied, cosmopolitan and focussed around an area named The Balcony: This upmarket food court has had some good early publicity and rightly so, I think, as it does put the typical UK shopping centre food court to shame.

There isn't a Singapore Sam or KFC in sight. Instead you have places like innovative Vietnamese soup noodle bar Pho and risotto specialists Ooze. It would be difficult to find a greater concentration of good-to-adequate places to eat anywhere else in London.

After a scout around, I decided there were two places I needed to try, the first being Birley Sandwiches.

Birley is an established chain of sandwich shops based mainly in the City and Docklands. The Westfield outlet is the company's first foray into the wilds of West London. At this branch the menu is built around a rotisserie so roasts such as pork, beef and chicken feature heavily. Also on offer were large, pork sausages:

Had I not been on blogging duty, I would have gone for the roast pork and apple sauce sandwich as it looked great but the sausages looked promising too.

The server asks you for your choice of condiment right at the start, and I requested English mustard. Rather incompetently, the server then slathered both slices of bread (a crusty, bloomer type loaf) with a full layer of mustard - I guess you could call it American style. Unfortunately, once I got the sandwich to my table and took a bite, I realised that so much mustard had been used that the sandwich was almost inedible. Every bite was accompanied by a wave of sinus-destroying mustard gas and it was impossible to taste anything else. After discarding the bread, I was able to tell that the sausage was fairly good quality but on the dry side (probably due to being left out too long). The bread seemed fresh enough. More thoughtful condiments and a fresher sausage would have made a big difference.

1.5 out of 5. Potentially good but badly executed.

Almost directly opposite Birley was the second outlet I wanted to try: Croque Gascon.

This is a very different proposition to Birley Sandwiches. Croque Gason has some serious heritage as it's an offshoot of Michelin-starred restaurant Club Gascon

The menu is extremely inventive and ambitious for a shopping centre eatery but also cleverly designed so that the dishes can be made freshly and relatively quickly. No prizes for guessing what I ordered: The Gascon Hot Dog

Officially described as a 'pork sausage on plum mustard bread', the hot dog is made to order in what looks very much like a proper restaurant kitchen. There is a short wait whilst the sausage is heated up, the bread toasted and the sandwich assembled.

The sausage was fragrant, nicely browned and still hot. The bread was crisply toasted and tasty. Shards of gherkin added a little zing. All in all this was an exceptional sausage sandwich (and the contrast to Birley's couldn't be greater).

5 out of 5. Excellent.

Cafe Miro, Great Queen Street

2009-03-17T14:11:00.000Z

A little off the beaten track, this one. Cafe Miro is located in a street near the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It's almost literally in the shadow of Freemasons' Hall, the grand headquarters of the Freemasons' 'United Grand Lodge'.

I've no idea if Cafe Miro gets any Masonic customers from across the road. I certainly wasn't greeted with any weird handshakes but the quiet, clean, well maintained interior did have a mildly eccentric atmosphere. This might have been due to the fact that on the morning I went, the clientele inside consisted of a businessman in a suit, three Community Support Officers and Rick Wakeman. Yes, the Rick Wakeman.

I ordered a sausage baguette and a cup of tea.

The buttered baguette was fresh and of a generic type often found in cafes - not terrible but not great either. Slightly bland and a little pale and underbaked. The sausage was unremarkable too, its speckling of herbs promising a level flavour that wasn't really there.

2.5 out of 5. Quite a bland sausage sarnie but a caff with a nice interior.

Polish Sausage Hot Dogs

2009-02-28T23:02:00.002Z

A tantalizingly brief video about Polish sausage hot dogs from Jim's Original, Chicago:

The sausage looks like a thick, smoked variety and Wikipedia suggests it's probably made of pork and flavoured with a little garlic. Looks good!

The Breakfast Club, D'Arblay St

2009-01-30T09:18:00.000Z

Great name for a cafe. I wonder why no-one's thought of it before?

There are two branches of Breakfast Club, this one in Soho which opened in 2005 and another in Camden Passage in Angel which opened in 2007.

Inside you are greeted by nice, friendly staff and a ragtag-style interior made up of seemingly reclaimed items of furniture. The atmosphere is either Bohemian or cheap, depending on how you look at it, and reminded me of places I would frequent as a student. It's certainly a place with character and a great alternative to the ubiquitous chain coffee shops.

One word of warning: I sat at the back of the cafe and noticed that the cooking smells from the kitchen were quite strong so I'd recommend trying to sit at the front if you can.

The menu is has a very un-British feel to it. By that I mean it's something I would expect to find in the US or maybe Australia; Wraps, smoothies and salads all feature heavily as well as the more conventional breakfast items. Obviously, the sausage sandwich was all I was interested in.

This was quite a hefty sausage sandwich, made with thick slices of a good quality, fresh bread and two sausages. The sausages were meaty and of decent quality. Overall the sandwich seemed a little dry - perhaps due to the thickness of the bread or the amount of time the sausages had been cooking. Still, it's a substantial and satisfying sandwich made with ingredients that won't fill you with remorse after eating. Can't fault the price either.

3.5 out of 5 (Bohemian in a rickety chair kind of way)

Website: The Breakfast Club Soho

Canteen, Spitalfields Market

2009-01-22T11:43:00.000Z

It's believed that there has been a market at Spitalfields in the East End of London (corner of Lamb and Commercial Street) since the thirteenth century. The market survived the Great Fire of London, declined after the 1820s before reviving again when it was redeveloped in 1893. The market expanded steadily until it had to be moved to larger premises in Leyton in 1991. The old site was then extensively redeveloped in 2005 and is now a covered market for small stalls with a range of restaurants and cafes.

It's a nice area to walk around: You leave the bustle of Liverpool Station, surrounded by the tower blocks of London's financial district and within minutes you're in the wide open market with its eclectic range of shops. Step beyond the market and the East End streets are full of character - there's an undeniably interesting feel about the place.

There's a fairly good mix of places to eat too although not quite the grazer's heaven that is Borough Market. After a quick scout around, I decided to give Canteen a try.

There are three Canteen restaurants, all in London. The mini-chain is devoted to high quality British food served in fashionably retro-modern surroundings that are like a cross between a library, a train station waiting room and a works canteen.

As you probably guessed the prices and not very canteen-like and the high quality of the ingredients used in the cooked-to-order menu is reflected in the prices.

I visited in the mid-morning and decided to go for the sausage and roast onion sandwich at £5.75.

This is more than I would normally expect to pay for a sausage sandwich so I was fairly skeptical when the sandwich arrived but I didn't have to be.

What you get are two, dense, pork sausages. Not strongly seasoned or herbed, fairly well cooked although I would have liked them a little more browned. The casings were thin. They are very good, thick, plain pork sausages. The roasted onions were sweet and soft and were not overcooked. The bread was little on the thin side and the melted butter - whilst it tasted very nice - did make the sandwich quite soggy. So much so that I didn't feel like I could add any condiments otherwise the whole thing might have fallen apart into a wet, messy pile.

Taste-wise everything worked. The onions were mild and complimented the meat. The buttered bread had its own flavour and wasn't overpowered. The only minor quibbles are that I'd have preferred a more distinctly flavoured sausage, cooked until a little more brown.

I initially was going to mark the sandwich down because of its price but by the end, the quality of the ingredients shone through and 6 quid for a very good sausage sandwich in these surroundings is not a bad deal, I think. Worth a visit.

4.5 out of 5

Link: Canteen

A Seasonal Treat: Customized Sausage Rolls

2008-12-28T23:15:00.008Z

This is straying a little bit from the 'sausage and bread' concept but hey, it's the holidays.

I don't know about you but I've found it quite difficult to track down a really nice sausage roll when I'm out and about. Usually the sausagemeat filling is cheap, over-salted and lacking in flavour, and the pastry is too greasy or (even worse) is cold and claggy.

So having spent so much time tracking down great sausages to put in sandwiches, I thought I would experiment and try making my own sausage rolls. I say 'make' but really I'm using all ready-made ingredients and simply assembling them and baking. The results are great, though, and if you have the time this is great way of making a tasty, sausage-based snack. They key is to use a good quality sausage and to serve them warm, fresh from the oven.

Ingredients:

1 x pack of good sausages. Choose your favourite but avoid varieties that contain fruit (e.g. apple) or a lot of garlic as these can exude a lot of water or be too overpowering, respectively.
1 x pack of ready rolled puff pastry (defrosted if frozen).
Jar of tomato relish (or condiment of your choice). I find tomato relish works especially well with the baked pastry.
1 x egg, beaten.

Recipe:

Lay your pastry out on a floured board and cut into long strips about 4 inches wide.

Place the tomato relish (or your own choice of condiment) along the centre of the pastry strip in a narrow line. Be sparing - you don't need a lot.

Seperate your sausages and cut along the casing of each one.

Extract the sausagemeat from the casing and place it on top of the tomato relish or condiment, in the centre of the pastry strip. You will find that most sausages are much to thick for a sausage roll and you will have to pinch the sausagemeat and 'thin it out' until it is roughly half of its original thickness. This means that one sausage link will make a sausage roll that is roughly twice its original length.

Brush beaten egg along one of the inner edges of the pastry strip, and fold the strip over to make a roll, using the beaten egg to seal. Position your rolled pastry so the join is facing down and hidden. Pat the roll gently to seal.

Cut your long roll into bite-sized or longer sections, as you see fit, with a single cut straight down.

Using scissors, make a little V-shaped snip in the top of each sausage roll.

Brush the top and sides of each sausage roll with beaten egg.

Bake at 220 degrees centigrade for roughly 25mins or until the sausagemeat is well cooked and the pasty lightly browned. Take out of the oven and eat whilst warm.

This is really so easy to do and I'm willing to bet they will be the best sausage rolls you've ever tasted!

That's all for 2008. Have a great New Year and see you in 2009 for more Sausage and Bread goodness!

The Sausage and Bread Top 5 2008

2008-12-07T14:09:00.001Z

Hard to believe it's been a year since my last Top 5. I've discovered loads of new places over the last 12 months and the thing that strikes me is how the bar has been raised in terms of easily available, good quality sausage and bread.

Your average greasy spoon cafe might still be selling nasty, 'economy' sausages but there seem to be more and more gourmet outlets springing up and newer sandwich shops tend to make sure they at least have a half decent Cumberland on the menu. Recent bad press about cheap, processed meat products and a general demand for better quality food may be the reasons.

As for the places reviewed in this blog: The Gourmet Hot Dog Company has survived for another year and while it's possible to get a West Virginian hot dog that isn't too shabby, its cooked-on-rollers sausages are a bit uninspiring.

Eat is probably the leading chain outlet with its grilled sausage muffin proving to be reliably tasty. Leon and Benugo's sausage and bread offerings perhaps proved that image isn't everything - both were quite disappointing.

The Diner deserves credit for its attention to detail and faithful reproduction of an American menu. Its chili cheese dog is a must try but the price and stodginess are negatives.

Cafe Soho continues to be a great sandwich shop but unfortunately its been forced out of the Top 5. Not because of any drop in quality, but because new places have muscled their way into the list. I re-visited recently and it still thoroughly deserves a 'Recommended' tag.

The 2008 Sausage and Bread Top 5 for London

5 - BAR BRUNO

Soho is literally being knocked down and rebuilt around it, but Bar Bruno continues to dish out a fantastic toasted pork sausage sandwich, prepared quickly. I was sure Bruno's was going to drop out of the list this year but a re-visit proved me wrong. Long live Bar Bruno.

4 - FERNANDEZ AND WELLS

The chorizo and roasted pepper ciabatta is a favourite. One of the stars of Soho.

3 - THE HONEST SAUSAGE

On my first visit I thought the Honest Sausage's location was a negative being out of the way and requiring a special effort to get to it. Now I've changed my mind and I've decided the setting in Regent's Park should be seen as a plus not a minus. On a sunny autumn day, what could be better than an organic sausage in fluffy white bun, eaten outside surrounded by squirrels, trees and a wide open park? Welcome to the Top 5, Honest sausage.

2 - FARMER BROWN

I've made multiple repeat visits to Farmer brown since I discovered it earlier this year. They make a sausage sandwich that is actually moreish. The owner has told me they get regulars who come to the cafe just for the fat, juicy Cumberland sausages.

1 - PAUL (salami baguette)

Yes, I'm afraid the long-standing number 1 has retained its spot. It remains the perfect combination of sausage and bread, in my opinion.

Do you know of any other places that serve great sausage sandwiches or hot dogs? Drop me a line with anything sausagey and bready that you'd like to share.

Here's to another year of outstanding sausage and bread!

Dec 2008

The Wonderful World of Korv

2008-11-14T12:01:00.004Z

Many thanks to Steve over at streetcuisine.blogspot.com who has posted a great review and photo album of Swedish hot dogs otherwise known as korv.

I've known about Copenhagen's popular hot dog stands for a while and have always wanted to go there to try them out. I guess the love of sausage and bread is actually a Scandanavia-wide phenomenon!

Link: Street Cuisine

Homemade: German Käsekrainer with Colman's American Mild mustard

2008-11-05T11:50:00.000Z

Don't worry, I know the 'Best Before' date on the packet says August - these are actually old pictures that I've only just got round to posting!

I bought a packet of Käsekrainer (pork wurst containing pieces of cheese) from the German Deli stall at the fantastic Covent Garden Night Market earlier this year.

'German Deli' isn't a restaurant as I thought but a website where you can order all kinds of German food and have it delivered to you. Check out the site here . As well as the Käsekrainer they sell all kinds of Wurst, German mustards and other sausagey products. Well worth a visit.

I simmered the Käsekrainer for about 5 minutes, which was a little longer than recommended, and served them with baked rolls and a mustard I hadn't tried before, Colman's American Mild.

I mentioned Käsekrainer in an earlier review for Kipferl in Smithfields. Apparently emmental is the cheese usually added to the sausage as it has a higher melting point. After cooking these Käsekrainer, the cheese inside had completely melted so either I cooked them for too long or it was a different kind of cheese inside.

Not that it mattered; the melted cheese turned into a sticky, gooey, savoury sauce that worked beautifully with the pork. Cheese is never an obvious accompaniment to sausage and bread but here it really works. I can see how a Käsekrainer would make a fantastic street snack.

As for the mustard, it had a nice tanginess similar to French's but without the dubious, radioactive colouring. Not quite the German hot dog stand mustard I was after but really nice nonetheless and a good choice if you're making American style hot dogs.

Benugo, Great Portland Street

2008-10-23T11:33:00.001+01:00

Benugo has been around for about 10 years but this is the first time I've visited.

The shop, which specializes is grilled sandwiches, has a deli feel to it and is quite spacious. They have recently introduced free wi-fi for customers too.

I'm not sure if I got the ordering system right on my visit. Do you order you food at the deli counter section and then pay at the till? Or order at the till? Whichever it is, the system is a bit confusing and you seem to end up waiting in two queues and then milling around at the end as you wait for your food.

I ordered a cumberland sausage sandwich in a crusty roll, part of the breakfast menu.

I suppose it shows that appearances can be deceptive. Despite Benugo's funky, designer look the sandwich was a let down. A bland, squashed, flaky bread roll concealed a sliced cumberland sausage that was in need of a bit more heating up. Not much love of food was apparent. I might have expected something like this from an anonymous, side-street cafe but not from somewhere with such a bright, cosmopolitan image.

As always with a negative review, I can't slam an entire establishment based soley on its sausage sandwich. For all I know Benugo's other food could be outstanding. But for the purposes of this blog, I have to put Benugo in the 'don't bother' pile (unless you really need somewhere with free wi-fi).

1 out of 5

Leon (various locations)

2008-09-15T12:14:00.001+01:00

I discovered recently that the trendy, 'fast food that is healthy' chain Leon has an extensive breakfast menu.

Besides a variety of porridges, yoghurts, fruit and smoothies, they also sell a sausage bap, a bacon bap, a mushroom and tomato bap and an 'I Love England' bap which is basically all of the above combined into one sandwich.

Naturally, I went for the sausage bap:

What we have here is a wholemeal bun encasing a couple of thin pork sausages with a homemade-style tomato sauce.

The bread was quite dense and I'm not sure its musty, wholemeal taste combined very well with the tomato sauce. As for the sauce, it lacked the tartness you normally get with ketchup and seemed a little watery.

The sausages themselves were pretty good but were small and their flavour was drowned out somewhat by the sauce and the bread. All in all it was just a mush of flavours that didn't really compliment one another.

It felt healthy but was a little unsatisfying. The concept behind Leon is that you order your food at a counter and get it quickly - like a fast food restaurant - but the dishes themselves are designed to be as unlike junk food as possible (healthy, made with fresh, natural ingredients etc.).

So if you want to eat healthily, I think Leon is a great choice but I sometimes find their food lacks the taste hit that makes 'bad' fast food so popular. Their evening menu looks a little more promising.

If you want a sausage sandwich from a chain such as this, I would recommend Eat's toasted sausage muffin instead.

2.5 out of 5. Guilt-free but not very tasty.

Enjoy, Berners Street

2008-08-27T22:09:00.000+01:00

Having reviewed a lot of places in Soho and Covent Garden, I thought it was time to have a look at the area north of Oxford Street.

Enjoy is a new-looking sandwich shop at the very top end of Berners Street. It's at the edge of a big cluster of restaurants and cafes that stretches all along the eastern end of Goodge Street, leading to Charlotte Street. If you work in this part of town you're spoilt for places to eat.

I ordered a sausage sandwich in a griddled panini bun:

Fairly simple but nice. The bread had a touch of fakery to it - it was the kind with the griddle pattern pre-seared on - but it was fresh enough and it toasted well. The sausage also seemed fresh I was surprised at the solid, meaty texture and decent herbiness.

It's a little out of the way but this is a pleasant, clean cafe with nice staff.

3.5 out of 5. Not a standout but you can do a lot worse.

Get yourself down to the Covent Garden night market!

2008-08-08T12:33:00.009+01:00

Every Thursday and Friday evening for the next few weeks, Covent Garden's piazza is hosting a fantastic night-time food and produce market. I was able to pop down there last night and I can report it's well worth a visit.

Fresh oysters, roast beef rolls, roast pork sandwiches (carved from a whole spit-roast pig), Jewish deli food, cakes, ice creams, breads and chocolates are just some of the goodies on offer.

Sausage-wise, there's a German Deli stand selling a variety of pre-packed Teutonic sausages as well hot Bratwurst rolls with sauerkraut (review to follow, hopefully). I bought a packet of kaesekrainer from here to try at home and will review them at a later date.

Carluccio's has a stand selling a variety of dishes including Italian salsicce sandwiches and there are several stands selling chorizo and salami.

Another stand worth checking out is Manor Farm and their game sausages. I bought two from the tireless girl working on the stand who looked like she'd been grilling sausages all day: the duck, orange and apricot, and the venison and red wine. The Venison sausage was interesting - its tastes exactly like a hamburger with a slight livery note which is is quite bizarre. The duck sausage I found a bit baffling as, try as I might, I could not taste duck, orange or apricot in it. I'm convinced I was given the wrong sausage as one of the guys behind the stand assured me the sausage is supposed to contain 65% duck. Never mind, I'll go back for a second try.

UPDATE: On my second visit I tried 3 more sausage sandwiches and can recommend all of them: The bratwurst hot dog from the German Deli stand; The pigeon and peach sausage in a roll from the Manor Farm Game stall and the Tuscan sausage sandwich from the Carluccio's stall (photos at top).

If you get there early enough there are also some cookery demonstrations (details here). But if it's just the food you're interested in, here's a full list of stallholders and some photos from last night. Enjoy!:

Traders:
Simpson’s Quality Meat – Prime and interesting game including, pigeon, venison, wild boar, and the currently ‘trendy’ grey squirrel
Thames fisherman who sources all his fish from the Thames
Melt chocolates who’s famous truffles take 5 days to make
Willie Wonka will also be trading with his chocolate Venezuelan Black

Hot and Cold Food
Northfield Farm www.northfieldfarm.com – burgers, sausages and fresh farm meat
Rainha Santa www.rainhasanta.co.uk – hog roast
German Deli www.germandeli.co.uk – german deli selection
Crème de la Crepe www.cremedelacrepe.co.uk – gourmet crepes
Carluccios – Italian deli
Just Food www.justonline.co.uk – New company making seasonal produce puff pastry tartlets
Clos Maggiore – French produce, also will do kitchen demo

Fresh Produce
Sporeboys www.sporeboys.com – raw and cooked mushrooms
Ash Green Organics www.aashgreenorganics.com – organic veg and fruit, and apple juice
Tomato Stall www.thetomatostall.co.uk – fresh tomatoes direct from IoW farm
City Veggies www.cityveggies.co.uk – seed grown culinary herbs in pots and window boxes

Cheese and Deli
Norbiton Fine Cheese www.norbitoncheese.co.uk – small farm cheeses
Grove Farm – dairy farm specialises in unpasteurised produce
Rowan Tree Goats www.rowantreegoats.co.uk – Goat produce
Iberica London www.ibericalondon.co.uk – Spanish produce, live carving
The French Store – French staples and store cupboard
Prelibato www.prelibato.com – Specialist Italian deli – fresh truffles
Le Marche du Quartier - paella
Wild Beef – wild beef from Devon moors
76 Portland Place Restaurant – head chef to do seafood stall and demo
McManus Oysters – fresh oysters
Primal Snacks www.primalsnacks.com – locally sourced biltong
Derreensillach Smokehouse – oak smoked fish from Ireland

Specialist Produce
The Olive Bar – olives, feta, other deli foods
Apulia Blend – Italian oils, truffles and vinegars
English Preserves www.englishpreserves.co.uk – small batch makers of handmade jams
Herbs & Spice www.herbspice.co.uk – spices and herbs, oils and chillies
De-Gustibus www.degustibus.co.uk – handmade breads
Teapig www.teapig.co.uk – specialist exotic teas

Patisserie, Cakes and Pastry
Artisan Foods www.artisan.co.uk – fresh baked biscuits, tarts and cakes
Violet Cakes www.violetcakes.co.uk – cupcakes (2 weeks)
Lavender Bakery www.lavenderbakery.co.uk – alternatives to cupcakes
Primrose Bakery www.primrosebakery.org.uk – cupcakes (2 weeks)
Gourmet Candy Company www.gourmetcandycompany.com – sweets
Cinnamon Tree Bakery – trade English biscuits
Amesha Sweets – Middle East pastries
Rummuna www.rummanco.co.uk – Jamaican pickles and preserves
Simply Ice Cream

Drinks
Choc Star – van serving chocolate drinks and treats ( 3 weeks)
CA PHE Vietnam – Vietnamese coffee
Quaffs www.quaffs.co.uk – specialist bottled beers
Burgil Coffee www.burgil.com – specialist coffee and soft drinks

The Diner, Ganton Street

2008-08-07T10:46:00.002+01:00

I've always loved the idea of American diners. It's not just the way they are glamourised in movies and US TV shows (although that's part of it), the combination of the open all hours, drop-in atmosphere and the wide range of dishes on offer puts most British greasy spoon cafes to shame.

Occasionally, attempts are made to import the diner concept to the UK with varying degrees of success. Ed's Easy Diner is an example of a UK American diner concept that doesn't quite work (food not up to scratch, too 'themey') whilst Balans Cafe is one that does (albeit in a niche way due to its Soho/Old Compton Street location and hip, media clientele).

The Diner, on Ganton Street is a fairly new establishment - part of a chain - that attempts to get the right mix of good, diner-style food and a laid back atmosphere:

That's not to say that The Diner isn't 'themey' because it is. The interior is decked out in American retro and the overall look is part bowling alley, part Hard Rock Cafe but it's not overpowering and the good thing is that a lot of attention to detail has gone into the menu as well.

You can check it out in full at the official Diner website here.

So what did I order? The bacon chilli cheese dog, of course:

As you can see, this hot dog is not suitable for someone on a diet. Unless that diet is one that requires you to eat large amounts of fat and protein. It's a fully loaded dog that's unashamedly stodgy. First impressions can be deceiving though because underneath the cheese topping (which is nicely melted and not smothering) there is some surprisingly good chilli (I noticed they don't spell 'chili' the American way, with one L, but I suppose that's allowed).

The flavour was spot on and there were actual, recognizable meaty bits in it not just the boring, industrial mince you normally get. I think this is down to the fact that The Diner serves chilli as a standalone dish and takes some pride in serving 'the real thing', not some vague slop that just looks like chilli. The fried bacon bits play an incidental role but they combine well with the cheese and chilli, adding a salty, porky flavour.

Biting through the toppings you get to a moist, grilled wiener that is not bad at all. With so many toppings, the sausage can only ever be part of a mixture of flavours but you can still tell the casing is not too tough and the meat not too dry. The white bun was fresh and had that glossy, glazed coating that seems to add a certain subtle something to the taste and bite. Very nice.

Overall, I find this hot dog hard to fault. The only negative point I could make is the price: For £6.50 (that's around $13 US) I'm sure any establishment could sell you a top of the range, organic sausage in really good, freshly-baked bread. To charge that amount for what would be considered a basic food item in the States seems extravagant - it's almost like you have to pay a premium to get something cheap. This hot dog and a Coke, plus service, came to nearly a tenner.

However, if there is a better chilli cheese dog to be had in London then I'd love to know where I can find it.

4 out of 5 Well executed but pricey.

Kipferl, Long Lane, EC1A

2008-07-10T08:21:00.006+01:00

I recently made a trip to Smithfields market to have a look around the area and see if I could find any better places to get a sausage sandwich than Kurz & Lang which I had reviewed previously. The centre of the London meat trade must have somewhere good nearby, right?

Well, it wasn't as easy as I'd hoped. Admittedly I was walking around randomly, without having done any research, but the sheer lack of eating places in the immediate vicinity of one of London's most important markets was quite surprising.

I wandered around for a while and was on the verge of giving up when I found a cafe called Kipferl on a very unassuming street about a block away from Smithfields. Then I realised that the place had been mentioned in a comment to one of my earlier posts. Anyway, the menu in the window mentioned Austrian sausages so in I went...

The cafe is tiny and only has about four, tiny tables so be prepared to takeaway. It does however stock a wide range of Austrian food and drink including cakes and desserts. It's really an Austrian deli more than an eat-in cafe.

Kipferl's menu features an Austrian trio of sausages; wiener, debreziner and kaesekrainer. Sadly the last one was unavailable on the day I visited. The kaesekrainer is an Austrian sausage made with pork and beef with small cubes of Emmental cheese inside (it has to be Emmental cheese as it has a higher melting point and doesn't turn to goo when the sausage is cooked). Sounds really interesting and I may have to go back to try that one.

In the end I ordered a 2 sausage, Kipferl special which consisted of a wiener, and debreziner, bread and a plate of mixed, cold salads.

As you can see, both sausages are of the processed, frankfurter variety. Both are made with pork (did the wiener contain beef too? I'm not sure); the wiener is plain and un-spiced whereas the debreziner is pepped up with a little paprika, giving it its red colour.

The big difference between these sausages and those of Kurz & Lang is that Kipferl's are either boiled or steamed and I think this style of cooking suits these kinds of sausages a lot better. They come out moist, plump and juicy.

The bread was a thick, seeded slice of brown bread. Very hefty and designed to give you that Teutonic eating experience of a bite of sausage dipped in mustard, followed by a separate bite of bread. It's not my favourite way of serving sausage and bread but it seems to be how they do it in Austria and Germany.

I really liked both sausages on their own, and I loved the mild, moreish mustard on the side. The meat was firm and not overpowered by MSG or other additives. I just wish i could have had them as hot dogs to get the full sausage and bread effect.

4 out of 5. A unique little cafe well worth checking out.

To find out more about Kipferl, check out their official website

Commercial Break: A selection of hot dog ads

2008-07-06T14:46:00.003+01:00

I've only ever seen one hot dog commercial in my life: It was the Westler's Hot Dog ads that they used to show in cinemas back in the early 80s. It's a different story in the States, of course, where hot dogs are an integral part of food culture.

So, as I get the next post ready, here are a few vintage American hot dog commercials for you to enjoy:

A Pic from Singapore

2008-06-26T08:48:00.006+01:00

Just a photo of some Singapore street food I found on Flickr. Sadly I can't report on how they tasted!

Photo: Kirk Siang

The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages

2008-06-18T10:40:00.000+01:00

There's been good and bad news recently concerning supermarket sausages.

The bad: Asda has started selling 2p sausages in a bid to attract customers struggling with the 'credit crunch'. These bangers contain, according to the BBC, 34% meat, 34% water and the rest made up of rusk filler and fat. They sound pretty bad but to be honest, I'm sure some of the cafes I've reviewed on this blog use sausages of this standard, if not worse.

The good: Well this is just my observation but there seem to be more and more specialist sausage brands appearing on supermarket shelves. Perhaps a sign that there is a growing interest in good quality sausages?

Here's one brand I spotted recently. The Black Farmer Premium Pork:

These contain a stonking 90% pork and come with the accolade of being voted best pork sausage in Olive magazine (whatever that is).

I grilled them with some cherry tomatoes, sliced them and served them in a fresh baguette with Coleman's mustard.

As you can see, these had a lovely, firm texture. Really packed with meat but not too dry. The casing became crispy and light after grilling whilst the sausage itself was lightly herbed and seemed to have a slight peppery heat to it, like a mild Cumberland.

They went very well with a crunchy baguette would would have worked just as well in a soft bun, I think. Not bad at all.

Sausage and bread, Tuscan style!

2008-06-03T16:10:00.002+01:00

Yes, it's time for a long overdue international update. This time from the Tuscany region of Italy. First port of call: The city of Florence.

Tuscan cuisine is known for being hearty and homely. Sausage does play a part but mainly in the form of smoked or cured varieties that are served cold such as salami and bologna. Hot, cooked sausage is surprisingly uncommon. Bread, too, is not a Tuscan passion. According to my guidebook, Tuscan bread is traditionally made bland and unappealing so that nothing detracts from the flavours of the food being served with it.

However, the prevalence of the simple salami sandwich in the cafes of Florence shows that the appeal of the basic sausage and bread combination is alive and well in this part of the world.

I wanted something more like a 'proper' sausage sandwich though, and for that I had to visit the city's main food market, the Mercato Centrale:

I like visiting markets when I'm abroad as they can give you an insight into the country beyond the mocked-up, tourist view although, to be fair, the Mercato Centrale is something of a tourist attraction in itself.

The most well-known place to eat in the market is a little cafe called Nerbone but as far as I could tell they don't sell a simple sausage sandwich (I could be wrong about that). Instead I had to venture to a quieter side to the market, to a neon-lit cafe called Pork's.

Where I ordered a panino con salsiccia - a bread roll with Italian sausage and - in this case - grilled aubergine and a drizzle of olive oil:

As you can see, the sausage (quite salty and hard textured when cooked) was squashed flat before serving (I'm guessing to speed up cooking), which I wasn't expecting. This could have been okay but unfortunately the sausage was severely undercooked - totally raw in some places. It had potential but I'm afraid I had to leave this one half uneaten. I'm afraid I can't recommend Pork's and would advise you try Nerbone.

Next stop... the walled town of San Gimignano, near Siena.

San Gimignano is known for the stone towers that give the town it's unique medieval skyline. I planned by trip there to coincide with the local market day in the hope that I would be able to score some authentic, local food. And that's exactly what I found at this stall:

Much as I was tempted by the whole roasted chickens, racks of ribs, beef joints and the foot-wide (yes, wide, as in diameter) bologna sausage that were being sold, there was only one thing I was interested in... another panino con salsiccia.

Oh, and some potato croquettes to go with it.

This was more like it. The sausage was thoroughly cooked this time and tasted great. It also wasn't squashed flat. Roughly textured, the sausage had a lot of bite to it (or should that be 'bits in it'). In fact, in taste and texture it was highly reminiscent of the filling of a pork pie which would suggest a coarse pork and bacon mix. In any case it was very nice and flavoursome and quite satisfying. The guidebook was right about the bread, though - it was a little bland.

In conclusion, for a sausage and bread fix in Tuscany, a salami sandwich is the most common option but a panino con salsiccia is worth seeking out. Just don't expect too much of the bread.

The Gourmet Hotdog Company, cnr. Berwick and D'Arblay Street

2008-04-30T09:44:00.002+01:00

I was pretty excited when sausageandbread reader Joshua contacted me to tell me that a new place called the Gourmet Hotdog Company had opened in Soho.

Once again Soho was going to get a place that specialized in hotdogs but was it any good? Or would it meet the same fate as the failed Olly Olson?

The Gourmet Hotdog Company has an extensive menu (you can check it out on the official website) that includes all manner of hotdogs from a basic frankfurter and sauerkraut combo to some frankly ridiculous sounding options such as a Tandoori Lamb (curried lamb hotdog, topped with mixed pickles, raita & popadoms) and the Northerner (pork hotdog topped with mushy peas, pork scratchings & mild horseradish).

After a quick scan of the menu I went for two of the more recognizable house specials, the Berliner (Bratwurst topped with coleslaw, crispy bacon and ketchup) and the Smoked Toulouse (toulouse sausage topped with cassoulet). I should point out that as well as the specials that are listed on the menu, you can also order any hotdog with any combination of toppings (and there are a lot to chose from) but more about this later.

Breadwise, I opted for a sesame seeded bun for both dogs, although in an ideal world I would have gone for a plain, soft white bun. This option wasn't available, unfortunately.

Both hotdogs were pleasant enough. The sausages are cooked on steel rollers which gives them a clean but bland finish. I found the toppings on these house specials kind of confusing. The bratwurst gained nothing by having greasy bacon tossed on top and as far as I know neither the bacon nor the coleslaw are standard toppings for a German bratwurst. As for the cassoulet topping on the toulouse: this consisted of a few oversized beans in a tomato sauce. Both combinations seemed to me like ideas dreamt up on paper rather than in the kitchen.

Both of the sausages would have tasted better cooked on a grill or hotplate to give them a little colour and smokiness - but this was especially true of the toulouse sausage. The garlic flavour was there but it was crying out to be cooked properly.

However, both the sausages were of high quality, nicely herbed, with thin casings and tasted natural and fresh.

Overall, I wasn't blown away by either of the hotdogs and I was starting to think that this place was going to repeat the Olly Olson mistake of having a great idea but not doing it very well. But with such a large menu, I thought it was at least worth a second visit.

It was only on my return visit that I realised that the hotdogs on the menu are only suggestions and that in fact you can order any kind of hotdog you like, with any topping you like. And with that came the revalation that finally, this was my chance to try my first ever West Virginian hotdog!

Okay, so it may not have been made in West Virginia and I missed out the chopped onions on top, but this is fairly close to the famed frankfurter, mustard, beef chili and coleslaw combo that is championed by my friends over at WVhotdogs.com - one of the first sites I made contact with when I started this blog. I've been dying to try a West Virginia dog ever since and I'm happy to report that this UK version tasted pretty good. I can see now the attraction of the WV hotdog. It's a great combination of flavours and textures that compliment each other and I'll be back for another very soon.

Like Olly Olson, The Gourmet Hotdog Company feels a little bit stylized and you do feel like you're taking part in a concept rather than just enjoying honest, simple food. Cooking the sausages on rollers isn't ideal and I'm not sure why they have chosen to display the rollers prominently at the front of the shop. It's nothing to be proud of and I think some people would be put off by this.

But overall I think the Gourmet Hotdog Company is a great place to go for a sausage and bread fix as long as you ignore the 'conceptual' menu and order something a little more conventional. They use good quality ingredients and there's nowhere else like it at the moment.

4 out of 5. I'll definitely be back.

Farmer Brown, New Row

2008-04-02T14:12:00.000+01:00

I discovered this place just a few doors down from Scott's, which I reviewed earlier.

The rustically named Farmer Brown's could easily be mistaken for a butcher's shop, with its old fashioned awning and display of plastic animals in the window. I popped in just after 9:00 one morning and ordered a sausage sandwich on brown bread with brown sauce.

Delicious. This is the first sausage sandwich I've had since starting this blog that I would describe as moreish. After eating it I immediately wanted another - it was that good.

The secret isn't in the bread (which is a decent enough sliced brown but nothing exceptional) or the brown sauce which seemed to be generic. The sandwich wasn't even buttered - they use Utterly Butterly.

The secret seemed to be entirely in the sausages: Fresh tasting, lightly herbed cumberland links. They're a wonderful shape and are cooked to perfection on a simple hotplate. Two in a sandwich, so nice and generous unlike some cafes. Get there at the right time and you can see them sizzling away, all in a line. A beautiful sight.

5 out of 5. Highly recommended.

Support British Pig Farmers

2008-03-24T22:42:00.000Z

I just wanted to post something about this campaign after seeing an ad for it on the Tube this morning.

Top quality pork is without doubt the vital ingredient of a great British sausage so it's not nice to think that British pig farmers are facing a future so uncertain that they need a campaign like this.

Here's part of the open letter drawn up for the campaign:

"...Feed – mostly wheat – is about half the cost of rearing a pig. But wheat prices have rocketed worldwide: as a result, pig farmers’ businesses – which get no subsidies – are under serious threat.

Due to price pressure from supermarkets, farmers are now being paid around £1.10 per kg for a pig that now costs them £1.44 per kg to produce. For every pig a farmer rears and sells, he is likely to lose over £20.

This can't go on. Today, we're launching our campaign to press the supermarkets to ensure that pig farmers are paid a fair and sustainable price. Continual pressure on the price of pork, bacon and ham will squeeze the life out of pig farming.
We need the supermarkets to pay an extra 34p per kg to help preserve British pig farming.

If this price rise were passed on to shoppers, it would only mean between 7p and 17p on the pack price of typical pork products.

We think it is a small price worth paying and we’re asking British consumers to back us.

Sounds fair to me. Cheap, low quality sausages are depressingly all too common (as some of the reviews on this blog demonstrate) and the situation will only get worse if the supply of meat diminishes or becomes a 'niche market'.

Why aren't good quality, fresh pork bangers the staple of every British cafe, rather than the revolting, mechanically reclaimed rubbish you so often find? I'd be happy to pay a little extra and I'm sure you would too.

Find out more about the campaign on the official website: http://www.pigsareworthit.co.uk/

EAT. (various locations)

2008-03-11T12:20:00.004Z

Eat is a chain of sandwich shops that can be found across London and in a number of locations around the UK. They specialize in freshly made, packaged sandwiches and lunches similar to the ubiquitous Pret a Manger.

I didn't realize until recently that they also have a hot breakfast menu which includes a toasted sausage muffin.

I was quite surprised at how good this was. The muffin is toasted quickly in a panini grill, which squashes it almost flat. The muffin only contains (I'm guessing) one small, sliced sausage but it's good quality, nice and herby and quite aromatic when combined with the crispy, grilled muffin. With the addition of brown sauce this was actually a very good sausage sandwich and puts many cafes I've reviewed to shame. It's a flavoursome and fresh-tasting sausage sandwich.

My only criticism is that the sandwich is quite small - snack size, you could say - but if you need a fix of sausage and bread and you're watching your waistline, that might not be a bad thing at all.

4 out of 5.

Canteen, St. Martin's Court

2008-02-28T22:28:00.001Z

Venturing out of Soho again, I found this cafe tucked away in St. Martin's Court which is not far from Leicester Square, just off Charing Cross Road.

The area is something of a hidden gem: Nearby Cecil Court is filled with secondhand bookshops and shops selling old prints and pictures; a nice place to spend your lunch hour. And St. Martin's Court is home to J Sheekey, a famous seafood restaurant as well as this cafe, Canteen.

There's something quite appealing about the exterior of Canteen: The old shop front with its ornate door and the traditional painted sign (no neon-lit plastic here). If looks were anything to go by, you should be able to get a very good sausage sandwich here.

Sadly that isn't the case. As soon as I spotted the sausages I knew they would be rubbish but as the only customer and under the glare of the shopkeeper, I forgot to switch to Plan B (order a bacon butty) and instead went ahead and asked for a toasted sausage and egg sandwich with brown sauce.

The sausages were uniformly brown, like orangey leather, and the casings seemed to be peeling away. Very strange looking and unappetizing.

He seemed to forget, or misheard, that I wanted the sandwich toasted and instead started buttering the bread straight away. When I reminded him, he said 'No problem!' and slipped the buttered bread into a hot electric griddle. The egg, at least, was fried on the spot and not microwaved.

Not much to say about this. I'm not really sure what was in those sausages but it tasted salty. The bread ended up as something like a fried slice, which isn't a bad thing but the sausage aspect of the sandwich was pretty awful.

1 out of 5. A strange accident. Throw away the sausage and you might have a decent fried egg sandwich.

New post label: 'Recommended'

2008-01-31T09:45:00.000Z

As I'm finding new places all the time, and I don't want to be changing the London Top 5 constantly, I thought I'd add the label 'Recommended' to all the good places or sausages I review. Just click on the tag to see all the good stuff.

Enjoy!

Scoffer.

Scotts, corner of Bedford Street and New Row

2008-01-31T09:11:00.000Z

Straying from my normal Soho stamping ground, this is a great find in the Covent Garden area, heading towards the Strand.

Scott's is a fine little cafe that does breakfasts, jacket potatoes and the usual lunchtime sandwiches. It also does hot salt beef sandwiches complete with mustard and pickles which I haven't tried yet.

What makes it stand out is how fresh everything looks on the counter, how spotlessly clean the cafe is and - having been there a couple of times - how generous their portions are. They certainly don't scrimp on the amount of filling they put in their sandwiches and potatoes.

For the blog, I ordered a toasted sausage sandwich on brown bread, with brown sauce:

The sausages - two of them, halved - are straight up pork sausages, rather than a cumberland, but they're of good quality. Despite the lack of spice there is a definite fresh, satisfying porky flavour to them, and a good texture.

Scott's seem to make a point of only using very fresh, soft bread and this was no exception. Even after toasting you could tell the bread was very fresh. I think the real butter was on the toast. It certainly had a very nice buttery note to it. And finally, the brown sauce was fine and generously poured.

All in all this is a great sausage sandwich from a well run cafe and certainly gives Cafe Soho a run for it's money. I wouldn't be surprised if this is the best to be found in this part of town.

4.5 out of 5.

Kurz and Lang, Cowcross Street

2008-01-19T22:10:00.000Z

I was emailed a link to Kurz and Lang ages ago and it was also mentioned in Time Out's recent list of best sausages, so I thought I'd seek it out over the Christmas break.

On the day I went, the whole Smithfield's area was very quiet (being a non-working day) but I could tell straight away that Kurz and Lang was in a fantastic location - right across the street from the famous Smithfield meat market.

However, the sausages they sell are not made from the meat that's available on their doorstep but are flown in from Germany. This is obviously great for authenticity but it does seem like a waste of airmiles when the market is just a few metres away.

Never mind that, what are the sausages like? I tried two varieties, the classic Bratwurst pork sausage, and a Krakauer which is made from pork, beef and spices. Rindswurst, Käsewurst and other varieties are on the menu.

The Bratwurst I had plain style, whilst I had the Krakauer 'currywurst style' which basically means it comes smothered in curry sauce. Fries and bread were on the side.

The sausages are cooked on a hot plate. They have the texture of a typical frankfurter or wiener i.e. tightly packed into the casing and obviously processed. There's nothing wrong with this style of sausage but for me it only works as part of a hot dog. On it's own, the texture is a bit dull and doesn't eat that well.

A bread roll was served but it was just plonked on the side which means you have to manually assemble your wurst-in-a-brotchen. I did my best but the roll wasn't fresh (again, probably due to this being a non-work day) and on the whole it wasn't a great eating experience.

The currywurst sauce is a sweet, gloopy confection that is probably exactly what you would get from a Berlin street vendor but wasn't particularly tasty. It reminded me of a dipping sauce you used to get with McDonald's chicken nuggets.

I think Kurz and Lang offer a genuine taste of German street-style sausages but it could be so much better.

For example, they could try serving the sausages in bread to start with; perhaps a soft, yielding bun that properly sets off the flavour contained in the sausage. With several different sausages on offer, more varied condiments might help too (ketchup, mustards and sauerkraut are on offer). And it would be great to be able to try fresh sausages made on the premises, or at least ones that use produce from the nearby market.

In summary, the sausage and bread magic just wasn't there! They serve nice sausages and it's interesting to get an authentic taste of German street food, but it could potentially be much, much better. I will try go back there again, though, on a work day to see if things are any different.

3 out of 5. Worth going to satisfy your curiosity.

Homemade: Sainsburys pork sausages with honey and mustard

2008-01-03T22:00:00.000Z

If you've seen my other 'homemade' posts, you've probably guessed which supermarket I go to by now. However, I thought these sausages from the Sainsburys Taste the Difference range deserved a mention.

They're generously seasoned with honey and mustard, both of which retain their flavours well - better than most other 'novelty' flavourings.

The honey creates a nice barbecue taste and aroma after grilling and the mustard manages to keep it's mild kick. These are sensible flavourings for cook at home, specialty sausage. They went really well wrapped in a toasted English muffin with a small dollop of tomato ketchup.

Probably the best I've tried from this range.

Wish you a Sausage-y Christmas

2007-12-23T19:55:00.000Z

... and a Happy New Year.

The decorations above are from the Paperchase store on Tottenham Court Road. Sadly no real hot dogs were available.

See you next year for more sausage and bread bloggery. In the meantime, here's a nice little recipe for an American style gumbo that uses smoked sausage and leftover turkey!

Merry Christmas!

Bodean's, corner of Poland St. and D'Arblay St. (return visit)

2007-12-17T18:13:00.000Z

A quick revisit to try their Cumberland sausage in a bun.

In brief, the sausage seemed to be of very good quality but I don't think barbecuing brought the best out of it. The already peppery sausage was given a smokey, chargrilled flavour that probaby suited the beef hot dog more. On the side was a serving of the house bbq sauce which, again, probably works better with their hot dog or ribs.

Still, they use good quality ingredients here and whilst £3.50 is a little steep for what you're getting, you can do worse in Soho.

4 out of 5

Related: Bodean's review 1

Honest Sausage, Regents Park

2007-12-02T19:54:00.000Z

After reading the recent Time Out Top Sausage list, I decided to try out one of the places recommended, Honest Sausage right in the middle of Regents Park.

This is a great locations for any cafe, let alone one specializing in sausages. It is surrounded by the vast Regents Park and is a stone's throw from the park's picturesque, landscaped areas, London Zoo and other attractions.

The only possible downside is that it is somewhat out of the way of central London, so unless you were planning a trip to the park, you have to make something of an effort to get there.

So what is so honest about The Honest Sausage? Well, the meat used in the sausages is strictly free-range and the bread they use is all organic, so you can be assured that your banger-in-a-bun is free of nitrates, MSG and any other bad stuff.

On the day I went, they were serving a their 'house special' pork sausage and also a pork and leek 'guest sausage'. Sausages are served in a white bun with optional freshly-made onion relish.

Ketchup, brown sauce and two mustards (mild and strong) are your condiment choices. You can also have your bangers with mash and gravy, if you're in the mood for that kind of thing.

As I'd come so far out of my usual Soho stomping ground, I really had to try both sausages. I had the house pork with ketchup and mild, grain mustard and the pork and leek with brown sauce, with onion relish in both.

On a cold autumnal day, I would have liked the sausages to be hotter but that is really the only flaw I could find. They were moist and unadulterated. No real herbs to speak of, so the flavour was purely in the meat and light seasoning. Very nice and natural tasting.

The mild, grain mustard was probably the wrong choice. I think the stronger English mustard would have been perfect with this classic pork banger. As for the brown sauce, if it wasn't HP, it was certainly a good approximation of it.

The bread was soft and airy and the perfect accompaniment to both sausages. Light enough to make eating two quite easy.

The sausages are on a par with E. Biggles, and the bread is better so I can't think of any reason not to give Honest Sausage full marks.

5 out of 5. Well worth seeking out.

Time Out gets in on the sausage action

2007-11-20T10:38:00.000Z

The London listings mag has caught the sausage bug and published its own list of London's best sausages.

Time Out's Best Sausages

It's an intruiging list. Kurz & Lang is on my list of out-of-Soho places that I really want to try, but I hadn't heard of the Honest Sausage in Regent's Park. I'm hoping to review all of the places in the list at some point.

Condiment Corner: Wilkin and Sons Brown Sauce

2007-11-16T09:14:00.000Z

In 2006, despite an internet campaign and even street protests, the production of HP sauce - the dark, vinegary condiment that's been an essential part of British breakfast tables since the early 1900s - moved from Birmingham to Holland, so ending a century of tradition.

Taking production out of the UK probably won't affect the taste of HP sauce, but it does diminish its homegrown appeal and you could say that the title of 'Great British Brown Sauce' is up for grabs.

Joining the brands that might lay claim to the title (e.g. Daddies, Branston), we now have a new player: Wilkin and Sons.

Wilkin and Sons are more known for their jams and marmalades (I have to admit I'm a big fan of their strawberry jam). Their brown sauce comes in a traditional looking glass bottle with the trademark, minimalist label. There is also a tag on every bottle with the name of the worker who (presumeably) screwed the top on and sent the bottle on its way. Appearance-wise, you can't fault it.

The sauce itself in very different to HP. It's lucky the bottle has a wide neck because you will have quite a job pouring the sauce and you will probably have to use a knife to encourage it out. The sauce has got a slightly gelatinous texture - almost like a very runny marmalade. EDIT: After the first use, the sauce became runnier and easier to pour.

Taste-wise it's much less vinegary, more fruity and sweeter than HP and it might remind you of a relish.

Overall I liked it. It's a good sauce that would go great with a spicier, flavoured sausage or a very peppery cumberland, or any barbecued meats. It's nothing like HP but I don't think it's trying to be. If you don't mind your sauce having a sweetness to it, give it a try.

Related: brownsauce.org

E. Biggles, Marylebone Lane

2007-10-29T09:55:00.000Z

E. Biggles is a purveyor of fine sausages based in Marylebone (just north of Oxford Street). It's basically a butchers that specializes in sausages, as opposed to a sandwich shop, so don't expect any tables, chairs or the niceties of a Soho cafe. If you peek down the spiral staircase into the basement area, you will probably see the chopping board and trays of mince that go into the Biggles links.

The unusual setting combined with the gentleman who served me - a glum looking, elderly gent who trudged up the stairs to serve me - gave the whole experience an almost Dickensian feel. It was great!

As well as selling uncooked sausages for you to take home, Biggles also has a daily selection of cooked sausages that they sell in simple baguettes for you to eat right away.

The one I chose was their 'signature sausage' - the Marylebone, a delicately herbed, pork variety. It came in a plain, supermarket-bought baguette from Morrisons. A good variety of condiments were on the counter.

A great sausage - lovely flavour, moist with a barely noticable casing. It was nicely cooked too, with a little bit of charring. The baguette was good and seemed fresh, although a softer, more floury variety might have complimented this particular sausage even better.

If you want something less traditional, there is usually a spicier sausage available too (they have literally dozens of varieties in the shop).

4.5 out of 5. A real treat. Highly recommended.

Be warned that there is nowhere in the vicinity for you to eat your sausage baguette, so you may have to stand and eat it in the street as I did, which was a little awkward.

Ebiggles has an official website here, although it wasn't working when I tried.

You can find some more info on Sausagelinks.co.uk .

Coffea, Brewer Street

2007-10-15T16:57:00.000+01:00

Brewer Street is one of the most interesting and diverse streets in Soho, and indeed in London.

Along its length you will find excellent Japanese noodle restaurants, sushi bars, a Japanese grocery store, a couple of Italian restaurants (one owned by 'celebrity chef' Aldo Zilli), a fantastic French seafood bistro called Randall and Aubin, a falafel bar, an Italian deli, pubs, bookshops, a health spa, two DIY stores, a gay lifestyle emporium, adult sex shops and a porn cinema.

And a travel agent and three hairdressers. And a little shop that sells old-fashioned, English sweets from giant jars.

And it's not even a long street!

It also contains a number of small cafes one of which is very good (Cafe Rio) and another which is... well...

My Coffea experience started well enough, with friendly, courteous staff and no need to wait as the place was empty. I ordered a sausage sandwich with brown sauce. The waitress suggested a baguette and as I like to go with staff suggestions in places like this, a baguette it was.

Perhaps I've been spoiled with all the great places I've discovered recently (see the Top 5) but this was a truly atrocious sausage sandwich. The sausage was pasty and mushy, with little semblance of meat inside its casing, which looked like it had a fake tan.

The bread was definitely stale - but how many days old I couldn't quite tell. The attempt to toast the baguette had only succeeded in making it flaky and crumbly.

The brown sauce was generic cafe brown. Normally not a crime but in this context, it added to the misery quite considerably.

A bad excuse for a sausage sandwich and a rare instance of me buying a sausage sandwich but not finishing it.

0 out of 5. Avoid, and walk a few extra steps to Cafe Rio.

The Sausage and Bread Top 5 (October 2007)

2007-10-02T09:03:00.000+01:00

I've discovered some really good places over the last few months so I thought the Top 5 needed a bit of revising.

Olly Olson is no longer with us and unfortunately Dolce Cafe has had to make way (although it's still a place that I would recommend for a better than average sausage sandwich). So, here we go. Here's the New Top 5:

5 - BAR BRUNO
Hangs on to fifth spot for its efficiency in preparation and quite decent pork bangers.

4 - BODEAN'S
Takes over as the hot dog representative in the Top 5. Has a range of toppings to choose from and a passion for flavourful food.

3 - CAFE SOHO
Currently the best, basic sausage sarnie I've found in Soho and an excellent sandwich shop all round.

2 - FERNANDEZ AND WELLS
A fine chorizo and roasted pepper ciabatta in this haven for foodies. Their daily specials sometimes feature sausage too.

1 - PAUL (salami baguette)

It's a really tough call between Paul and Fernandez & Wells since both sandwiches are exceptional. In the end, I thought the Paul salamai bauguette just edged into the top spot based on the perfect mix of flavours and the slightly more sophisticated presentation. It just can't be improved upon.

Both sandwiches are a real treat, though.

Oct 2nd 2007

A new Top 5 is coming soon

2007-09-27T09:22:00.000+01:00

The Sausage and Bread Top 5 is in need of a major overhaul; several new establishments have emerged in the last few months and at least one has closed down.

So stay tuned for an updated Top 5...

Sept 24th is National Braai Day in South Africa

2007-09-21T18:52:00.000+01:00

South Africans sure do enjoy a good braai (bbq) and no braai is complete without boerewors.

I have to admit the ones I tried when I was in Namibia weren't that appealing: dark and chewy meat with a somewhat musty, heavily spiced flavour. However they come in endless varieties and there is undoubtedly a 'wors' to suit everyone.

And what better way to kick off a weekend than watching Archbishop Desmond Tutu geting all excited over a sausage sarnie :D

Braai etiquette:

Homemade: Wickham Manor Farm sausages

2007-09-05T14:21:00.000+01:00

I was wandering through Balham in South London when I saw a small farmer's market selling organic produce. One of the stalls was for Wickham Manor Farm and was selling - you guessed it - sausages.

It was too good an opportunity to miss so I bagged one pack of pork sausages and one pack of cumberland. The friendly stallholder gave strict instructions not to rush the cooking of these sausages (allow 20 mins) and when I examined the label back home, I discovered that the farm is a supporter of the 'slow food movement' - a campaign to get people away from our current microwave-burger-bar-scoff-it-down culture and instead actually take some time over food - and thereby appreciate it more.

In other words, these sausages are made with the intention of being savoured. First up, the plain pork sausages:

The first thing you notice is how lean the sausages are. Very little fat comes out when you grill them. Solidly packed in a thin casing, meaty and delicately seasoned, these went great with mustard and tomatoes (grilled along with the sausages) in a fresh baguette. I did like the texture and flavour of these very much.

The following weekend I tried the cumberland variety:

Again, a very good sausage, although I thought it could have done with a bit more seasoning. The texture was good but I felt it lacked a little fat this time. This could have been purely down to me grilling the sausage for too long, but either way I think a bit more fat would have enhanced the flavour overall. The relative leanness of the sausage might be why I missed that peppery, herby taste I associate with a cumberland. You can't deny the quality of the meat, though, and I'd be happy to get a sausage like this in a sandwich bought in town.

Both sausages were really good but the plain pork was especially good, in my opinion. If you'd like to order or buy Wickham Manor Farm sausages, their contact details are:

Wickham Manor Farm
Panel Lane
Winchelsea
East Sussex
TN36 4AG

tel: 01797 225 575 (grant.culwick@btconnect.com)

Or you might be able to catch them at the farmer's market in Balham High Street at the weekend. Enjoy!

Goodbye Olly Olson. Was nice knowin' ya.

2007-09-03T16:56:00.000+01:00

Sad to report that after just a few months, Scandanavian hot dog pioneer Olly Olson has shut up shop.

Despite being in a great location (and my numerous visits), they seemed to have had trouble attracting customers in large numbers to the store.

They never really promoted the hot dogs that well and the whole concept - from the name to the look of the store - never really clicked. The quality of the actual hot dogs was variable too, and they were presented almost as curiosities, rather than as tasty food to be enjoyed. Whilst the Swedish Korv was memorably good, something just didn't work there.

Ah well, the choice for hot dogs in London just got smaller.

Olly Olson Review 1

Olly Olson Review 2

Canaletto Bar, Beak Street

2007-08-17T10:16:00.001+01:00

A friendly, small cafe in one of the nicest parts of Soho, near Golden Square and Carnaby Street.

The toasted sausage sandwich on brown was okay. Like Cafe Rio they slice one sausage into thin slices for a sandwich.

It was a decent sausage with a meaty texture but is was noticeably saltier than average. Bread a little too toasted too. Belongs in the 'quality' bracket but not exceptional.

3 out of 5.

Bodean's, corner of Poland St. and D'Arblay St.

2007-07-28T15:45:00.000+01:00

Bodean's BBQ Smoke House has been in Soho for a few years now and is known as the place to go if you want US-style barbecue ribs. What I didn't know was that they also sell hot dogs - and pretty good ones too.

Like Ed's Easy Diner (the only other place I know of that does American hot dogs), Bodean's is a US-themed restaurant but that's where the similarities end. Bodean's was founded by a man from Kansas called Bryan Tyrell who - according to the restaurant's publicity - has been a world BBQ champion twice and BBQ meats (ribs, chicken, pulled pork, 'burnt ends' beef brisket) are the main feature of the Bodean's menu.

I was only here for the hot dogs though...

Bodean's sells two sausage and bread combos - a Cumberland sausage sandwich and a 1/4lb 'Chicago' all-beef hot dog.

Tempting as the Cumberland sausage was, I felt I had to try the beef dog. I ordered mine with chilli and jalapenos on top. Pickles and a handful of fries came free with it. The pink blob on the side is some kind of mayo. It didn't taste great.

This is certainly the closest thing to a true American hot dog (such as those championed by the guys at WVhotdogs.com) that I've found in London. The sausage was nicely charred on the outside and moist on the inside. A really nice hot dog sausage.

The chili was a little wet for my liking and once it again it had beans. I have mental image now of what kind of chili would be perfect in a hot dog - it would be quite thick in consistency, dark, with a hint of sweetness as well as the chili kick, and the beef would be quite fine. The Bodean's chili wasn't quite like that but it still tasted pretty good and had a freshly-cooked quality to it. The jalapenos helped to add more of a bite. Other toppings you can get include sauerkraut, cheese and grilled onions and there are a variety of sauces (BBQ, ketchup etc.) on the table.

The bread roll was the weak point as it was somewhat tasteless - kind of an afterthought.

Overall, this was superior hot dog and there are plenty of toppings to choose from to maximise your hot dog experience. The only thing that could be improved is the bread.

4.5 out of 5. The best American style hot dog I've had in London so far.

Bodean's website.

Health concerns raised over cheap sausages

2007-07-12T16:58:00.000+01:00

A new study claims that a common food dye often found in cheap sausages may pose a cancer risk.

Worrying news.

The additive in question is E128. I recommend you avoid any sausage (or indeed any food) containing this E number, which is already banned in some countries.

As some of my reviews have shown, it's a sad fact that cheap (and - we may as well say it - nasty) sausages are all too common in British greasy spoon caffs. Now, not only is there a serious taste warning attached to cheap bangers, but also a serious health warning.

Now more than ever, I think, is the time to highlight good sausages and where they can be eaten. We need to start raising the bar when it comes to quality of sausages served and sold in the UK.

A Day in the Life of a Danish Hot Dog Seller

2007-07-06T15:49:00.000+01:00

You don't have to speak Danish to appreciate this wonderful little film about a splendid looking hot dog cart in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen is at the top of my must-visit list. I can't wait to sample hot dogs like this!

Fernandez and Wells, Lexington Street

2007-06-27T07:10:00.000+01:00

A brand new arrival in Soho. There are actually two Fernandez and Wells stores. One is a cafe specializing in cakes, coffee and light snacks (in Beak Street) and this branch which is more of a deli selling cooked food, jamón ibérico and wine etc.

This is foodie heaven. Daily lunch specials such as paella or rabbit stew are advertised on a chalk board outside whilst magnificent legs of jamón hang proudly in the window. Seriously good stuff can be bought here.

This includes a grilled chorizo sandwich:

Ciabatta, rocket, grilled red peppers and a couple of deep red, oily, chorizo sausages. This is an intensely good sausage sandwich. The chorizo is soft and delicious and the oil seeps into the salad and bread (possibly a little too much).

The flavours may not be as subtle as the Paul salami baguette, but the sausage is the star here - meaty and intense and a great partner to the floury, airy ciabatta.

It's a tough call between this and the Paul baguette for the Number One position in the Top 5.

As well as the chorizo sandwich, I also sampled a daily special, a chorizo sausage and bean stew. A picture is worth a thousand words so all I can really say is it was bloomin' fantastic. The darker sausage was a type of black pudding, I think.

Soho has a new star.

Cafe Rio, Brewer Street

2007-06-17T00:18:00.000+01:00

A pleasant surprise this. Cafe Rio is one of the larger cafes in Soho and has more tables and seats than other establishments. It's a great spot for a leisurely breakfast without people knocking into your table every five minutes.

Now, on to their toasted sausage sandwich on brown bread, with brown sauce; Very good. The sausage was distinctly meaty and well herbed. It was as good as any 'caff' sausage I've had.

They also used what seemed to be real HP brown sauce, which is a rarity (it's a travesty that this is so in London, the capital city of Great Britain, but there you have it).

The only downer is that instead of offering two sausages cut lengthways, Cafe Rio seems to give you just one sausage which is sliced finely into thin strips. So what you gain in quality, you lose in quantity.

That said, it is still an enjoyable, tasty sausage sarnie.

4 out of 5. A place in the Top 5 beckons (watch this space).

Jumbo Eats, Brewer Street

2007-06-08T16:09:00.000+01:00

A well known Soho eaterie and takeaway, Jumbo Eats has been here for as long as I can remember.

Their menu has evolved to specialize in mediterranean style flatbread wraps which, as you can tell from the queue at lunchtime, are very popular. They also do the usual cafe fare, such as a sausage sandwich.

Quite a disappointment, this. Very, very poor, mushy sausage lacking meat and flavour. Any taste was overpowered by cheap brown sauce.

It's possible that the cafe owners take such pride in their wraps that they look on something like a humble sausage sarnie with disdain but still, it was an experience I'd rather not repeat. Try their wraps instead.

1 out of 5

Homemade: Debbie and Andrew's Harrogate Pork

2007-06-05T09:22:00.000+01:00

Part 2 of my Debbie and Andrew's review. Had these in the freezer for a while and thought it was about time I tried them out. To go with them: a Sainsburys crusty 'French' baguette.

For a change I cooked these under a proper grill (hence the tin foil). I have to say they browned beautifully and stayed plump and juicy.

They were good. Really flavoursome meat and not too much seasoning. Quite a clean taste, if you know what I mean. The crispy grilled skins worked very well with the crusty exterior and fluffy interior of the bread, I thought. I love the French style merguez and baguette sandwich and this sort of reminded me of those.

I've been pretty impressed with Debbie and Andrew's so far and I hope I can try the whoe range eventually. Recommended.

S and M Cafe, Essex Road, Islington

2007-06-01T09:58:00.000+01:00

Another restaurant this time, the S and M Cafe on Essex Road, Islington.

Not a sausage and bread combo (although a sausage sarnie is on the menu) but I thought it deserved a mention.

Not only is this refurbished art deco diner a wonderful setting, the sausages are fantastic too.

The pork bangers I chose (they have a wide variety of sausages to choose from) were herby, plump and juicy and the mash was wonderfully creamy. The gravy was generously dispensed and there were three mustards, HP sauce and ketchup on the table. Perfection.

El Rincon Latino, Clapham (Colombian chorizo)

2007-05-25T09:32:00.000+01:00

I went this Spanish restaurant for tapas the other day and lo and behold, they had a dish on the menu that consisted not only of sausage but also bread. Needless to say, I ordered it!

This dish is actually a Colombian style chorizo sausage and the bread is - I'm guessing - an arepa, a South American, corn-based flatbread.

The sausage was plainer in colour than a Spanish chorizo, and did not have that lovely oily, paprika taste. It was very dry and densely packed. The bread/pancake thing was quite disappointing. It actually had no discernable flavour whatsoever despite numerous attempts to eke some out of it. I genuinely could not taste anything when I ate it. This might have been due to the other tapas dishes being heavily flavoured but I doubt it. I think it is just an intentionally plain accompaniment. Strictly for the curious, I think.

Homemade: Debbie And Andrew's Sicilian pork

2007-05-14T12:33:00.000+01:00

I haven't seen these sausages in my local supermarket but apparently you can get them at Morrisons. I actually found them by chance when I went to the 'Ideal Home' Exhibition in London earlier this year. You can find out more from the company website here http://www.debbieandandrews.co.uk/

The first variety I tried was the Sicilian pork which , as the packet says, is flavoured with basil, garlic, sun-dried tomato and mozzarella. I served the sausages in simple hot dog buns with mustard and ketchup.

They were delicious. Intensely flavourful but well balanced. The mozzarella was hard to make out, to be honest, but the meat and the herbs worked really well. These are top quality sausages - possibly the best I've had at home and they go fantastically well with a hot dog bun (the plainer the bread the better, I think, as the sausage is so full of flavour).

Highly recommended.

Cafe Soho, Ingestre Place (return visit)

2007-05-04T10:13:00.000+01:00

I had to hastily re-order the Soho Top 5 after a return visit to this place.

Cafe Soho remains one of the best sandwich shops in Soho, due mainly to its policy of using varied, fresh ingredients and having new specials every day. The last sausage sandwich I had from here was a lunchtime behemoth and strictly speaking should not have been used to compare with the other sandwiches I've reviewed, but this time I went for a simple sausage sandwich (on toasted brown bread with brown sauce).

Basically this is the best 'conventional' sausage sandwich I've had in Soho so far. It goes straight in at No.2 on the chart, bettered only by the Paul salami baguette.

Good quality granary-style brown bread which was quite light and airy, helping to absorb the sauce and avoid dripping. A good, herby sausage and brown sauce that does indeed taste like brown sauce. There's no great mystery to it - this cafe just chooses not to use the cheapest, lowest grade ingredients it can get away with and as a result it makes a really good sausage sarnie.

I won't give it the full 5 out of 5 because that would mean there is nothing that could be done better which isn't the case. Additional condiments, different bread, fatter, juicier sausages might all have made the sandwich even better. However, it's still the best so far.

4.5 out of 5. How a basic sausage sandwich should be done.

The Sausage and Bread Blog Top 5 (Apr 24th 2007)

2007-04-25T13:11:00.000+01:00

As per an earlier comment, here's the Sausage and Bread Top 5 list. Due to my location, I'm afraid the list can only really cover Soho and central London. So here goes...

5 - BAR BRUNO
The speed at which it's made is the secret to the sausage sandwich from this Soho institution.

4 - DOLCE CAFE
A better than average cafe and restaurant, with good quality ingredients.

3 - OLLY OLSON (Swedish Korv hot dog)
A hefty hot dog served with mashed potato on top.

2 - CAFE SOHO
Currently the best sausage sarnie in Soho. Review now up.

1 - PAUL (salami baguette)

Controversially, the Paul salami baguette is not what many would consider a 'real' sausage sandwich. You could go as for to say it's a bit 'fancy'. But I cannot fault this sandwich and it does fulfill the critieria. Great ingredients, great flavours. The Paul sandwich demonstrates what is so appealing about the sausage and bread combination.

---

The idea of combining sausage with bread is a simple one but it can result in something quite spectacularly tasty. Making a truly great sausage takes skill, attention and great ingredients. The same goes for making really good bread. So, the marriage of a top quality sausage and top quality bread actually produces something rather special. It's a simple concept that has the potential to be something amazing, depending on how much thought and effort you put into it.

Richmonds, Bateman Street

2007-04-20T23:18:00.000+01:00

With possibly the least obtrusive shopfront in Soho and a hidden location, it's easy to miss Richmonds sandwich shop. It opened a couple of years ago, I think, and seems to have a loyal customer base who like to support the little, independent shop.

The interior is as basic as the exterior, with virtually no decorative touches. It's as if someone went about creating a cafe using the least amount of fixtures, fittings and decoration possible.

Ordered a toasted sausage and egg sandwich with brown sauce. I was disappointed to see the dreaded microwaved, pre-cooked egg which is never a good sign. But the toast was acceptable and they were slightly better than 'economy brand' sausages - slightly plumper than the cheapo varieties.

3 out of 5.

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: The first ever review of the hot dogs in the new Wembley Stadium!

2007-03-23T08:56:00.000Z

I think I can claim something of a first here. England's famous Wembley Stadium has been rebuilt and was finally opened to the public for the first time last weekend. Several thousand people were invited to test out the facilities and get a first look at England's national stadium.

It was great making the walk from Wembley Park station up the wide avenue leading to the stadium, with the huge metal arch dominating the view. We also saw the first ever goal to be scored at the new Wembley, during a celebrity exhibition match.

But of course the undoubted highlight for me was when I went to the drinks and snack kiosk and realised that they sold hot dogs! Wembley may be a world class venue but could it deliver world class hot dogs?

Well, not world class no, but probably a decent enough hot dog to keep fans satisfied on match day. The sesame seed bun was soft and fresh (well, you would hope so since we were the first people ever to eat there). The frankfurter was moist and not too nitrate-y. It was a processed Herta-type variety which isn't always a bad thing. Tomato sauce and mustard were on offer from giant squeezy bottles. Both were good (actually better than in many of the cafes I've previously reviewed). The sausage:bread ratio was spot on, too, I thought.

All in all this is a decent hot dog considering the mass catering environment. If they can keep the standard up on a full match day, fans won't be disappointed. I imagine a top American stadium would have absolutely amazing hot dogs - something to actually take pride in. The Wembley hot dog doesn't quite reach those heights but is a good hot dog nonetheless.

4 out of 5. An easy tap in from the edge of the box.

Olly Olson, Wardour Street (part 2)

2007-03-12T23:42:00.000Z

More 'Scandanavian street food' from the Olly Olson menu. Today's double whammy was a Norwegian Polse followed by a simple organic, Belgian sausage hot dog.

First up this time: The Norwegian Polse.

This is a hot dog sausage wrapped in a Lompe - a potato pancake. Inside is ketchup and mustard and if you like you can have some prawn mayo in there too (I didn't go for the prawn mayo).

I did like the sausage in this one. It was a classic hot dog sausage, really. Meaty yet moist. The ketchup and mustard worked wonderfully with it. There was an unmistakable flavour of street food about it.

The Lompe potato pancake was nice enough but not special. Quite chewy - a bit like an Indian chappati but plainer. This same sausage inside a conventional hot dog bun would have been delicious. As it is, the wrap doesn't quite have that bread-y magic of a sausage sandwich. Still quite tasty, though.

3.4 out of 5. Unusual. The sausage is the star.

Next up, what's described on the menu as simply 'Organic Belgian sausage'. This could be the simplest hot dog of the lot. It really is just small, thin sausages inside the fluffy, white organic bun used in the other Olly Olson hot dogs. The menu says it comes with relish, but I was offered brown sauce, which I went along with.

Not much to say about this. The sausage is lean and quite dark. Reminded me of a North African merguez, only less spicy. The substantial bread roll was a bit too big for the sausage cocooned within.

3 out of 5. A very basic hot dog, but using good quality ingredients.

Yes!! Hot dogs arrive in London! (Olly Olson, Wardour Street)

2007-02-27T00:14:00.000Z

For several months, what used to be a small coffee shop in Soho called 'the Movie Cafe' was closed for renovation with a little sign in the window saying 'Olly Olson - Coming soon.'

So what or who was 'Olly Olson'? A designer clothing brand? Some trendy bar? You can imagine how happy I was when the shop finally opened and I discovered it was a food shop that sold... yes.. oh yes.. hot dogs!

http://www.ollyolson.com/.

Not just any hot dogs, mind. These were Scandanavian style, streetfood hot dogs. Now, it is actually an ambition of mine to go to Copenhagen one day to sample the hot dogs there. I actually have a newspaper clipping taken from the travel section of a Sunday newspaper many years ago, that describes the wonderful hot dogs that you can buy from street vendors. So not only was it great to see a new outlet in central London specialising in hot dogs, it was even better knowing that these were Scandanavian style hot dogs, like the ones I've been desperate to try for so many years!

OK so to begin, Olly Olson actually has 6 different types of hot dogs on the menu and I'm hoping to review them all. Actually the last time I visited there seemed to be 2 extra hot dogs added to the menu, but I will have to reconfirm that.

My first 'test sample' was a double whammy: the Swedis Korv (Swedish hot dog topped with mashed potato) and the Danish Polse (Danish red hot dog with fresh onions, crispy onions and mustard mayo).

First the Danish Polse: Unfortunatley my camera phone had a malfunction so I don't have a picture of this one. It was basically a soft, white bun with a bright red frankfurter in it. Underneath the sausage was a mustard mayo and on top was soft onion (boiled I think?) plus browned, crispy onion bits.

After my initial enthusiasm I have to admit I was a bit let down by this one. It's ALL onion! Everything else is totally overshadowed by the strong odour and taste of onion. Now with a nice cold beer and a summer's day, this might in fact have been perfect. But on a dull London lunchtime, with no booze available it didn't quite work. I guess that's what it comes down to - the context in which you eat your hot dog.

The bread though, was very nice. Fresh, soft and plump.

2.5 out of 5. Onion overload!

Next up, the Swedish Korv:

Now this was a better proposition. A pork sausage encased in the same, fluffy organic bread roll and a top coating of smooth mashed potato, finished off with a dainty criss-cross of mustard and ketchup. I made a hot dog with mashed potato on top when I was in Namibia but I had no idea that elsewhere in the world this was done as a matter of course.

Now this one worked. It was a hearty, comforting hot dog. Perhaps leaning more to stodginess rather than pure taste but it was certainly satisfying and all the flavours came through. This is a hefty dog that is more than a snack.

Olly Olson points out that it uses only organic ingredients and that came across in this hot dog. Everything tasted natural and unadulterated (although I'm not certain if the mustard and ketchup are also organic)

4 out of 5. Currently the first choice for a real hot dog in London in my opinion.

More Olly Olson hot dogs reviewed next time!

Paul, Old Compton Street

2007-02-16T18:19:00.000Z

The Sausage and Bread blog goes upmarket! Paul is a patisserie chain that has stores all over London and beyond. It's not the kind of place you would expect to find a sausage sandwich but they do indeed sell them.

Well, to be exact what they sell is a salami baguette which is not the usual format of sandwich that I review but is nevertheless a combination of sausage and bread. And a very, very good one at that.

All I can say is that this sandwich can't be faulted. The salami is delicious and is served in a buttered, cheese-topped baguette with small, sliced picked gherkins inside. There is no sauce in the sandwich but it doesn't need any. The ingredients are in perfect proportion and the flavour of every one is allowed to come through. I dread to think what the calorie count might be but whatever it is, it's worth it. This is a great sandwich that really demonstrates that magic of combining sausage and bread.

5 out of 5!

Cafe Venezia, Frith Street

2007-02-07T09:58:00.000Z

A nice cafe, decorated with a bit more attention than your usual greasy spoon. I ordered a sausage and egg toasted sandwich this time, with brown sauce.

The egg was cooked well. Believe it or not I've seen some cafes use pre-fried eggs which they then microwave before adding to a sandwich. Yuk. This one, though, was cooked fresh. Sausage and bread were ok. A typically decent breakfast sausage sandwich.

3 out of 5.

Hot Dogs - Hong Kong style!

2007-01-23T10:36:00.000Z

I was lucky enough to spend some time in the Far East recently, namely the former British colony of Hong Kong. Despite the many local food attractions, I was surprised to find a lot of places selling... you guessed it... hot dogs!

What many people may not know about Hong Kong is that the locals love cakes, pastries and baked goods, and throughout the city there are bakeries such as Maxims and Yamazaki. In fact, most shopping malls and Hong Kong underground rail stations seem to have a branch of one or the other.

And it seems that one of the most popular items is a Hong Kong version of a hot dog. Basically its a frankfurter sausage (it always seems to be the same variety of frankfurter) inside a roll of dough or a bun. Garnishes can include a mayonnaise-like sauce, sesame seeds or ketchup.

You can get foot-long versions:

Bite-size mini versions:

Even double sausage versions!:

The dough is quite rich and fatty and aromatic, whist the sausage becomes pretty soft and mushy after baking. It's not what you'd expect to find in a place like Hong Kong but pretty much every cake shop sells these, so they are very much a part of the street food/fast food scene. They taste pretty good but there is a richness to them (I think they use lard in making the dough) that means you need a tea or coffee to wash it down.

Besides the 'cake shop hot dog', you can also get a more conventional type of dog in certain cafes or fast food outlets. These are usually brightly coloured and display their menu on plastic placards near the entrance. Despite the infinite variety of amazing Asian food on offer, I still managed to find time to try a hot dog!

The best way I can describe it is, this was a hot dog a long way from home. The sausage was okay. Meaty texture, although it had that nitrate-y flavour to it. The bread was fine too but overall the hot dog didn't really come together. Underneath the sausage there was some lettuce and other vegetable matter I can't quite remember. The sauce on top was some kind of mayonnaise, a little bit like Heinz salad cream. Some more thoughtful condiments would have transformed this into a quite decent hot dog. Shame. I should point out that I bought this hot dog in a fast food restaurant that was serving dozens of other dishes (noodles, rice dishes, sandwiches etc.) and the hot dog probably isn't something they spend too much time on.

Back to London for the next update....

Dolce Cafe, corner of Wardour St. and St. Anne's Court

2007-01-10T10:06:00.000Z

This is a really good cafe. In fact 'cafe' almost doesn't do the place justice since it does some good lunches including roasts and bangers and mash (Their roast pork baguette with apple sauce is excellent). They are definitely a notch above the usual Soho sandwich bar.

Their sausage baguette was pretty good overall, with the sausage and bread both griddled (no microwave used). The brown sauce was a little sparse but the sausage was better than average quality - herby and meaty. Not bad at all, and I highly recommend the cafe.

3.5 out of 5.

Heston Blumenthal's perfect sausages (and mash)

2007-01-05T13:32:00.000Z

Famed chef Heston Blumenthal, whose 3 Michelin-starred restaurant is frequently placed amongst the top 2 in the entire world, recently came up with a set of recipes for his 'perfect' versions of traditional British foods (e.g. fish and chips etc.)

Here's his take on the classic British dish Bangers and Mash.

Interesting ideas, like the use of golden syrup and the importance of smokiness in the flavour. His condiment choice of Guinness mustard sounds interesting too.

But Heston, you really missed a trick there! The sausage and bread combo is much more rewarding and subtle than sausage and boring old mash. Ah well.

I have to hand it to Mr. Blumenthal, though. His version of this dish, complete with star anise flavoured onion gravy and gelled butter for the mash, sounds top notch.

Homemade: Sainsburys Pork and Apple 'Taste the Difference' + Warburtons Cheese Rolls

2006-12-14T19:45:00.000Z

I thought it was time for another homemade effort so I made a trip Sainburys and picked up a different variety from their 'Taste the Difference' sausage range. Maybe influenced by the "Best Sausage Sarnie in Britain" mentioned earlier, I chose Pork and Apple this time, along with some nice looking Warburtons cheesey rolls.

As usual I cooked the sausages in a grill to lose some of the fat. First thing I have to say a LOT of fatty liquid came out of these sausages when I cooked them. It almost filled the small plastic collecting dish.

I don't know if this was pure fat or a mixture of fat and water (perhaps having apple in these sausges gives them a higher water content?) but in any case I was shocked at how much came out. As a result, the sausages were a lot smaller once cooked and nowhere near as plump as they looked in the packet. The skin also charred very easily compared to other sausages. All in all, these are slightly weird sausages.

I split the six sausages between four lightly buttered rolls and added some sliced tomato (yeah I know - I got really carried away there!) and added some HP sauce. Not having had HP sauce at home for a while, tasting it this time really brought home how awful the brown sauce you get in cafes is. The real thing is so potent and aromatic, it really whacks you with flavour and piquancy. God knows what the stuff they serve in cafes is but rarely do you get real HP.

Anyway it was decent enough sandwich. I may have been a bit over-enthusiastic with the HP sauce because that flavour kind of dominated everything. Still, I didn't think much of the sausage. Having apple inside the sausge didn't seem to make much sense because your effectively cooking bits of apple with the meat which doesn't seem to work. Also I think the high water content gave the sausage a slight 'steamed' feel to it.

Not a sausage I'd recommend for sandwiches. The rolls were good but at £1.80 (approx. I can't remember exactly) for four, I would look for a cheaper alternative next time.

Cafe Soho, Ingestre Place

2006-12-14T09:16:00.000Z

A bit of a departure this time - not a plain sausage sandwich but a 'daily special' sandwich that just happened to have sausage in it. In fact, the full list of ingredients is as follows:

- Cumberland sausage
- lettuce
- cheddar cheese
- smoked turkey
- dijonnaise
- tomato
- gherkin

It would be pretty difficult to make a sandwich that didn't taste good with all those ingredients! Cafe Soho is one of the best sandwich shops in Soho and one I keep going back to. All the fillings are really fresh, the staff are great and they have daily changing specials. Next time I'll ask for a straight sausage sandwich and see how it compares.

3.5 out of 5 (tasty, but helped by the extra ingredients)

A Guide to Hot Dog Etiquette

2006-12-03T19:00:00.000Z

Do you know what types of napkins are appropriate to use when eating hot dogs?

Or how many bites are considered acceptable when consuming a hot dog?

Find the answers the these and other important questions here
here, courtesy of America's National Hot Dog and Sausage Council!

Britain's Best Sausage Sarnie Announced!

2006-11-28T22:46:00.000Z

You may remember there was a national contest recently to find Britain's Best Sausage Sandwich.

Well, Carol Thatcher and her team of judges have chomped their way around the country and the official winner has been declared...

After a thorough, countrywide search, the national winner of British Sausage Week’s hunt for the Supreme Sausage Sarnie has been unveiled as New College Nottingham student Chris Slocombe.

Chris’s sarnie of pork and cider sausages with apple, pear and sage chutney on toasted Brioche triumphed in the Nottinghamshire regional final, following a hard fought cook-off at ncn’s Adams Restaurant.

Full report here.

The apple and sage chutney sounds like a delicious combination. All I want to know is, where can I get one???

Mother Mash, Ganton Street

2006-11-21T11:21:00.000Z

I had high hopes for Mother Mash. It's a new restaurant that specializes in that classic comfort food mashed potato, which they serve with either sausages or a pie on the side. They also have a breakfast menu which includes a sausage sandwich.

I went there on a weekday morning just before 9:00 and was the only customer, so they were hardly rushed off their feet. However I still had to wait around 10 minutes for my sausage sandwich on toasted white bread with brown sauce. If you're just popping in on your way to work, this is way too long. I'm guessing they had no cooked sausages ready and actually made one from scratch. Good in terms of freshness; very bad in terms of keeping your customer waiting. At £2.40 this is also one of the most expensive sausage sandwiches in town.

So, was it worth the wait and the money? Not really. The bread was good quality, yes. The sausge was a lot better than usual too, but it had a strange, dull quality about it. Too dry or too lean, maybe? It certainly wasn't bursting with flavour. Condiments came in the form of a sachet of HP brown sauce that you get seperately.

3.5 out of 5. Premium price and a long wait for an only slightly-above-average product.

(Even though the sandwich was a bit of a let down, I'm still going to go back to try their speciality mashed potato!)

Bar Bruno, Wardour Street

2006-11-13T14:26:00.000Z

Something of a Soho institution, this. Ultra-efficient, Italian-run sandwich shop and cafe that has been here for years and years. The menu is vast and yet the kitchen (what you can see of it anyway) looks tiny.

Ordered a toasted sausage sandwich with brown sauce. Neither the bread nor the sausage were anything remarkable. In fact, it was a fairly bland sandwich but what Bar Bruno has down to a fine art is getting food to you very, very quickly and this was no exception. Something about the way the bread was toasted and the speed with which the whole sandwich was put together made it taste that much better.

The crispiness of the toast, the degree that the butter had melted and the temperature of the sausage (which was actually a typical, cheap, ordinary, cafe variety) were all spot on.

UPDATE: After some repeat visits, it seems the the sausages they use are somewhat better than the common cafe variety, and are actually pretty good pork sausages.

3 out of 5.

You can see more pics of Bar Bruno on the British breakfast blog eggbaconchipsandbeans.

Homemade: Sainsbury's Pork and Herbs Taste the Difference

2006-11-10T13:24:00.000Z

Sometimes, after you've had a few bland, disappointing sausage sandwiches from cafes, you get the urge to do it yourself and make your own. So the other day I grabbed a pack of 'Taste the Difference' Pork and fresh herbs sausages from Sainsbury's and rustled up my own sausage sandwiches.

At home I cook sausages in an electric griddle to lose some of the fat content. I also don't prick the sausages, as you lose flavour if you do and there really isn't much risk of your banger literally going 'bang' unless you buy the really cheap and nasty varieties that contain a lot of water.

The nicely grilled sausages were combined with buttered Hovis white granary bread - nice and light, with not too many grains. Ideally I would have had HP sauce but I didn't have any and had to use Heinz ketchup.

The sausages were great. Really lean and moist, and the herbs were not overpowering. Would happily eat these again although there a number of different varieties to chose from in this range. Think I'll go for the Cumberland next time! The bread was good too but perhaps a bit too fragile for such a substantial sandwich.

Don't you just love Sunday breakfasts? :)

Ed's Easy Diner, Old Compton Street

2006-11-06T12:51:00.000Z

This time, a rare occurence - an actual place that sells real hot dogs in London!

For most Londoners, the only time you will see a hot dog on sale is when you pass an illegal street vendor at about 1:30 a.m. selling suspicious looking, rancid smelling sausages with overcooked onions on a street corner. Those guys are illegal and the food they sell is probably dangerous to your health.

Ed's Easy Diner on the other hand is a reputable, established restaurant chain which sets out to re-create a classic, American burger bar in the U.K. Whilst their burgers are okay, they have been overtaken somewhat by the 'gourmet burger' phenomenon that has swept London and are in danger of looking a little dated. However they do sell hot dogs which is something their competitors don't. So, what are they like?

The branch I went two only sells two variations: Hot dog with onions, and a chili dog. So a chili dog it had to be.

Overall impressions: Not bad. A good quality, fresh roll, and a weiner sausage prepared with some care. The chili portion was substantial and served on the side in a little container. Now, this chili contained beans - a typical chili con carne - and having read some of the recipies for American style hot dog chili, I couldn't help but think that a bean-less chili might have been better. It wasn't especially flavourful but was still a nice accompaniment to the hot dog.

3 out of 5. Not a classic by any means, but it scores for novelty value.

It's BRITISH SAUSAGE WEEK!

2006-11-01T18:52:00.000Z

It doesn't seem that long ago that we had British Food Fortnight but right now it's British Sausage Week and, can you believe it, part of the event is an official search for Britain's Best Sausage Sarnie!

If anyone knows how I can sneakily take Carol Thatcher's place on the judging panel and get to sample untold numbers of sausage sandwiches, please do get in touch!

Get the full lowdown on British Sausage Week here.

Mocha Cafe, Charing Cross Road

2006-10-25T12:19:00.000+01:00

Mocha Cafe is on the busy Charing Cross Road not far from Trafalgar Square and Chinatown but it feels hidden away because it's part of a row of shops that's set back from the road, under an office block that overhangs it. This is a nice, clean-looking, bright cafe that also has internet access.

Ordered my sausage sandwich toasted on brown bread, with brown sauce. It was only £1.70 which is cheaper than average. Not much to look at but the sausage was of higher than average quality. On closer inspection, I found the sausage actually contained herbs! Not something you see in your typical cafe sausage sandwich. The brown sauce used was good - not diluted rubbish - and overall it was a nicely made, inexpensive sausage sandwich.

3 out of 5. Best so far.

Bavarian Weiss Sausage - Explained!

2006-10-19T15:25:00.000+01:00

A quite funny video from trndtv on how to cook, serve and enjoy Bavarian Weisswurscht (that's pronounced 'varrssswrrjj' according to the presenter).

Enjoy!

Bar San Valentino, Greek Street

2006-10-19T10:47:00.000+01:00

This is one of the better cafes in Soho and does reaonably priced sandwiches with fresh-looking fillings. First time I've had a sausage sandwich from here though.

Really nothing special to report. The sausage was average quality and did at least have some meaty texture, but it was a basic pork banger. Bread and brown sauce were average too. Their normal sandwiches are better.

1 out of 5.

Cafe Lena, Berwick Street. (Home at last!)

2006-10-12T13:02:00.000+01:00

Finally home after months working abroad. I actually got back a few weeks ago but I"m only just catching up with this blog malarkey.

It's good to be back in London but I'm going to miss being able to grab a quick bratwurst for lunch. The options back home are a little different..

America has hot dogs, here in Britain we have sausage sandwiches. These are not sold on the street, though, but in small cafes you find just about everywhere and the quality is - by and large - awful. Cheapness is the common factor here; the very cheapest sausages, the cheapest bread and the cheapest condiments.

I work in Soho and there's an abundance of cafes and sandwich shops so there's going to be no shortage of places to sample and review. The challenge is going to be finding somewhere good. First up is Cafe Lena on the corner of Berwick Street and Noel Street. I picked this one at random and it was the first sausage sandwich I had after returning to the UK.

In a word: Disappointing! The sausge was a typical cafe variety: bland, texturless and cheap. Processed to such a degree that the inside was perfecly smooth, like paste. To the cafe's credit though, they did at least put some effort into making the sandwich. I asked for it on a baguette, which they buttered and toasted panini-style. The sausage was cut into slices and griddled. It was the fresh baguette that stopped this from becoming a total disaster. The mustard was ok but had to be asked for (in British cafes it's considered a slightly more special condiment and isn't automatically provided) whereas the tomato sauce was again typical cafe quality i.e. poor - too vinegary and pale.

1 out of 5 (for the bread!).

The search for a decent sausage sarnie is on!

Hot Dogs Namibian Style #3

2006-10-05T11:17:00.000+01:00

The third and final Namibian update! Just down the road from where I was working was this 'wurstbude'. When I saw the sign I imagined a kind of hot dog lover's heaven; A lengthy menu of different types of wursts with all kinds of different condiments to sample. In reality, it was just a pizzeria that also sold hot dogs and bratwurst.

The location is great, right opposite the beach and with the crashing Atlantic waves clearly audible. I placed my order at the counter, sat down in the gorgeous sunshine and it wasn't long before my double bratwurst in a roll arrived (along with a nice, cold Tafel lager).

These wurst were clearly fried, not grilled but they still tasted great. Nice crispy skin and none of the rank, stale taste that you find so often in UK cafe fried food. The ketchup and mustard were adequate but not especially nice. All in all though, it was a tasty roll that went great with the cold lager.

A nice note on which to end my Afican adventure.

Namibia just misses out on sausage world record!

2006-10-03T10:57:00.000+01:00

Aww. Illustrating the Namibian love of sausage and bread, the country made a valiant attempt to break the world barbecue record a few weeks ago but narrowly missed out due to safety fears. This Septemeber has been a very sausagey month!

Read the full story here.

Interview: Stanton from 'West Virginia Hot Dogs Blog'

2006-09-29T13:06:00.000+01:00

The greatest thing about starting this blog is discovering that there are other people out there who share my love of sausage and bread! One of these is Stanton, who writes the excellent West Virginia Hot Dogs blog as well as the West Virginia Hot Hogs website. Stanton is passionate about hot dogs especially his local variety which features bean-less chili and coleslaw (yum). Here's a very brief Q&A with Stanton on the subject of - what else - hot dogs!

Q: What makes the perfect hot dog?

"Hot dogs in our part of the world must have a spicy chili sauce coupled with sweet creamy coleslaw. These two ingredients must be excellent because they make up the character of the hot dog. Beyond that, the bun, wiener and other condiments should be as high quality as possible, but the best wiener can't offset poor coleslaw and lackluster chili. The perfect hot dog, then, would be a grilled wiener on a steamed bun topped with yellow mustard, spicy chili, sweet coleslaw and finely chopped onions."

Q: Fries with your dog?

"For me personally, no, but only for dietary reasons. In a perfect world where one didn't have to be concerned with waistlines and cholesterol, absolutely yes."

Q: Why do you think is the secret behind the hot dog's popularity?

"Portability - the best "on the run" food you can find.
Adaptability - every culture can have its own unique version.
Dependability - no matter where you go (at least in the US) you can get a hot dog and you pretty well know what it's going to taste like."

Q: What drink goes best with a hot dog?

"Root Beer."

Q: Another food you love besides hot dogs.

"The kind you eat! Seriously, I've not found too many foods that I don't love. Hamburgers are high on the list."

Q; What's your record for most hot dogs eaten in one sitting?

"The most I remember eating is four. I prefer quality to quantity."

A big thanks to Stanton. Check out his website here and his very cool blog here. I think I'm going to have to try a homemade version of the West Virginia Dog. Sounds delicious!

Man eats 29 sausages in Utah.

2006-09-27T11:18:00.000+01:00

This is absolutely not the way to appreciate sausages but the excellently-named, professional eater Joey Chestnut set a new world record earlier this month for scoffing sausages. Apparently he uses a finely honed 'perpetual motion' technique that basically involves stuffing the sausages into his gob very, very quickly and taking sips of water in between.

Read the article here

There's also a video of the guy here although the player didn't work for me.

It's British Food Fortnight!

2006-09-25T13:17:00.000+01:00

The next couple of weeks are 'British Food Fortnight' - a celebration of the best food and produce from the British Isles. It's in its fifth year now and as you might expect, sausages are playing a big part! The official event homepage is here but to save you looking, here's a run down of some of the main sausage-related events that are coming up:

Sausage Saturday and Sunday at La Hogue Farm Shop at Chippenham
30th Sep 2006 to 1st Oct 2006
La Hogue’s butchers, F.L. Edge & Son will be offering free tastings of their award winning homemade sausages, including the launch of two exciting new varieties. Contact: info@lahogue.co.uk Extra Info: www.lahogue.co.uk

Sizzling Sausage Fest at Jimmy's Farm!
30th Sep 2006
There will be a sausage festival at jimmy's farm to coincide with British Food Fortnight, with around 12 sausage producers all selling and promoting their sausage to celebrate the range and diversity of British sausage! Various competitions include Sausage Eating Competition, Guess the Weight of The Giant Round Sausage Competition and Sausage Tasting Competition... aswell as sausage making demonstrations, British beer, wine and cider, musicians, mad morris men and a magician to jolly things up!
Contact: telephone- 0870 950 0210 or fax- 01473 601 752
Location: Pannington Hall Farm, Wherstead, Suffolk, IP9 2AR

New Sausage Launch - Heath Farm Meats
23rd Sep 2006-8th Oct 2006
Heath Farm Meats will be launching a new sausage at a Bangers and Beans event. For further information, please contact:
Clair Gittens, Heath Food Meats, Bagginswood, nr. Kidderminster
Worcestershire
DY14 8NB
Tel: 01746 718 732
Contact: clair@heathfarmmeats.plus.com
Location: Kidderminster, Worcestershire

Hot Dogs Namibian Style #2

2006-09-20T09:39:00.000+01:00

Today's hot dog is from the Lightkeeper's Cafe in Swakopmund, Namibia, possibly the best place for lunch in this whole town. They mostly do sandwiches and salads but then I noticed they had bratwurst on the menu too.

The two grilled wurst come with a 'brotchen' bread roll and potato salad on the side. The wurst had a delicious grilled flavour (cooked over charcoal maybe?) - perhaps the best I've had here. The potato salad was so soft and creamy that I actually used it as condiment. Didn't need any mustard or ketchup. A very tasty sausage roll.

Condiment Corner: Sosatie Sauce

2006-09-15T09:45:00.000+01:00

I like to try any new or unusual foods when I'm travelling so I had to give this sauce a go. It's called Sosatie Sauce and is part of a range called 'Walker Bay', a South African brand. It's a tangy, sweet and sour type sauce with a spicy, curry-like kick to it. I think sosatie sauce is a traditional South African thing. To give you an idea of what's in it, you can see a recipe for a homemade version of it here.

It goes great with grilled sausages or any barbecued food and it doesn't have that cloying texture or fake smokiness you get with a lot of barbecue and meat sauces. If it was a little thicker it would be perfect for hot dogs too. It's very nice stuff. Try it if you get a chance!