6 days ago
23
Sausages are more than the sum of their parts – a blend of tradition, technique, ethics and flavour. I’ve always preferred proper butcher’s sausages, featuring hog casings filled with well-seasoned pork shoulder, then linked and set (I used to love making them with butcher Ray Smith on River Cottage’s regular Pig in a Day courses). Farmer’s markets and butchers are the best places to find them, but supermarkets now have a wide range, too.
Texture is key: a good sausage should have bite and a bit of snap, with a juicy, meaty interior, rather than pasty from too much rusk (a crumb typically made with flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda) in the filling. Then there’s flavour: a decent sausage should be rich in umami, well-seasoned but not overpowering, so you can actually taste the meat, and not be too sweet or packed with preservatives.
Sourcing matters, too, both from the perspective of taste and personal and planetary health. The RSPCA has several welfare concerns about pork production in the UK, but better options do exist, and not always at a premium. Supermarkets do respond to customer feedback, so call or email if your local one doesn’t stock good-value, high-welfare meat. Riverford, Pipers Farm and my local farmers’ market are my go-to suppliers, but I also buy from supermarkets when I need to. If free-range or organic sausages are too expensive for your budget or not available to you locally, look for ones labelled RSPCA Assured or outdoor-bred or -reared, and check the excellent pork labelling guide at Farms Not Factories.
Let’s not forget the casings, either, because they’re also important. Natural pork casings brown and crisp up beautifully, which helps give the banger that all-important snap; alginate casings (derived from seaweed) are ultra-processed but use renewable resources, and also offer a decent pop. Collagen casings, however, which are made from beef hide or bone, can be rubbery and don’t caramelise as well.
The ingredient lists varied widely across brands, but all the sausages I tested contained sulphites (used to preserve colour and extend shelf life, though they can cause adverse reactions in people who are sensitive to them); some were also full of ultra-processed additives such as stabilisers, emulsifiers and preservatives. If you’re curious or concerned about what’s in your sausage, the Yuka app is a useful tool – it scans product barcodes and gives easy-to-understand scores based on ingredients, additives, saturated fat, salt and sugar levels.
As for the cooking, the best approach, in my book, is low and slow with a little oil and, essentially, some butter as well, because that helps them caramelise and go sticky. A high heat will split them, leaking precious fat and leaving them dry, which is a travesty.
This was a fascinating tasting, and proof that you can still get a decent sausage at a fair price – and feel good about eating it, too.
Best overall:
Waitrose No 1 British free-range pork sausages
£4.75 for 400g at Waitrose (£1.19/100g)
★★★★☆
Made with 98% pork, these had the highest meat content of the whole test group. They had a juicy, coarse texture and well-balanced flavour, seasoned with mace, sage and onion. The aroma is fresh and inviting, and the flavour holds its own without being overpowering. The vegetable-based casings mean they don’t brown as readily, but that can be rectified by adding a little butter to the pan. Free-range outdoor-raised pork and strong animal welfare credentials, too, alongside a fully recyclable tray and sleeve – only the film tray cover is not. While not the most striking in appearance, they’re a classic, high-welfare banger with strong provenance.
Best bargain:
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference British pork sausages
£3 for 400g at Sainsbury’s (75p/100g)
★★★☆☆
A high-quality banger for the price. A distinct, herby aroma with a hint of nutmeg, while the coarse texture is true to the traditional British banger. Made with 93% pork and using alginate casings, they didn’t colour well, but kept their shape. Contains sodium metabisulphite and vitamin C, but otherwise free from ultra-processed additives. Outdoor-bred and RSPCA Assured, this is a decent supermarket option.
And the rest …
Farmison & Co the Nidderdale sausage
£6.95 for 400g at Farmison & Co (£1.74/100g)
£6.95 for 400g at Ocado (£1.74/100g)
★★★★☆
A well-crafted sausage made with native-breed pork and a mix of fine and coarse textures that delivers on both flavour and provenance. It has a classic linked shape and caramelises nicely, although it did lose some shape during cooking, which means it may have been overfilled. The aroma is nostalgic and inviting, with balanced seasoning and super umami. Although made with only 78% meat (79% if bought directly from Farmison), these have wonderful flavour and texture. Farmison stands out for its commitment to traditional methods and transparent sourcing, with full details on breed and origin clearly laid out on its website. Free-range pork, recyclable packaging apart from the film, and a focus on heritage make this sausage feel worth the premium. A strong contender with a clear mission to support British smallholdings and culinary heritage.
The Black Farmer premium pork sausages
£3 for 400g at Ocado (75p/100g)
£3.50 for 400g at Tesco (88p/100g)
★★★☆☆
These sausages brown nicely with a good caramelised colour and a classic butcher’s shape. The coarse texture gives them a satisfying bite, while the aroma is pleasantly mild, with hints of nutmeg and sage. Well balanced with good seasoning. They’re made with 90% pork and natural pork casings, but contain sodium sulphites and stabiliser triphosphates. While there’s no transparent animal welfare standard, the packaging is mostly recyclable. The meat is British but likely to be intensively reared. Overall, a solid all-rounder with decent credentials and fair value for money.
The Jolly Hog outdoor-bred proper porkers
£4 for 400g at Sainsbury’s (£1/100g)
£4.25 for 400g at Waitrose (£1.06/100g)
★★★☆☆
Brown beautifully with great caramelisation and a classic banger shape. The texture is juicy, combining both fine and coarse meat for a satisfying mouthfeel. The aroma is sweet with hints of white pepper and mace. Well seasoned, with a balanced depth of flavour. Made with 84% pork and encased in natural pork casings, but they’re highly processed and contain sodium metabisulphite, emulsifiers (mono- and di-glycerides) and stabiliser diphosphates. Outdoor-bred (born outdoors, fattened in sheds) and RSPCA Assured, and packed in a recyclable card sleeve and plastic tray, this is a traditional British banger of OK provenance and quality.
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M&S Collection Olde English farmhouse pork sausages
£4.00 for 400g at Ocado (£1/100g)
★★★☆☆
Nicely shaped, and browned beautifully in the pan. Very coarse and traditional, with a savoury, highly seasoned flavour led by herbs, spices, onion, and a touch of lemon. Made with 90% pork in natural pork casings, these are a classic, less-processed banger. Recyclable tray and sleeve. Outdoor-bred (born outdoors, fattened in sheds) and RSPCA Assured, giving them a more responsible edge, and provenance is reasonable. Not cheap, but a solid supermarket option with good flavour and the RSPCA’s stamp of approval. (For just 50p more, you can get certified free-range sausages from the M&S Collection range, which is a great investment in quality.)
Daylesford organic outdoor-reared pork sausages
£7.50 for 400g at Ocado (£1.88/100g)
£7.50 for 400g at Daylesford (£1.88/100g)
★★★☆☆
A premium sausage with high welfare credentials and good flavour. These have a classic shape and colour, but did lose some structure when cooked, probably due to the natural casings or air pockets in the filling. The fine texture and light, peppery seasoning give a clean, subtle taste. Certified organic and made with outdoor-reared native breed pork sourced from Gloucestershire, these are packed in a recyclable tray and sleeve. Contain sulphites and fortified wheat flour (gluten), but are otherwise minimally processed. A strong sustainability story and provenance make this a standout choice for ethical shoppers, albeit at a price.
Tesco Finest pork sausages
£3 for 400g at Tesco (75p/100g)
★★☆☆☆
These sausages have a coarse texture and a fresh aroma with a strong hint of sage. They’re on the saltier end and quite plain in taste, with a touch of white pepper. Made from 90% pork shoulder and belly, encased in vegetable casings, they didn’t colour too well. They’re more processed than some brands and contain sodium metabisulphite, calcium lactate and diphosphate stabilisers. The packaging is recyclable, except for the film. Overall, a basic supermarket sausage with modest provenance and processing credentials.
Heck 97% pork gluten-free sausages
£3.25 for 400g at Sainsbury’s (81p/100g)
£3.25 for 400g at Ocado (81p/100g)
★★☆☆☆
With a medium coarse texture, these are quite plain in taste. They’re less processed than some, and made with 97% pork shoulder, but with beef collagen casings. Lacks transparent animal welfare standards, though most of the packaging is recyclable and the brand discloses a carbon footprint of 2.4kg CO₂, which does add some kudos. Better than some budget options, but a rather middling product with few redeeming qualities beyond their pork content.
Richmond thick pork sausages
£2.18 for 410g at Asda (53p/100g)
£2.30 for 410g at Tesco (56p/100g)
★☆☆☆☆
Less sausage and more processed meat-like substance wrapped in a reconstituted casing. These shrank and wrinkled in the pan, and have a pasty, floury texture typical of an emulsified product with very low meat content. The aroma is faint and sterile, while the taste is sweet and lacks depth. Made with just 42% pork and encased in beef collagen casings, they also contain soya protein, stabilisers such as guar gum, diphosphates and sulphites, firmly placing them in the ultra-processed category. The packaging aims for full recyclability by 2025, but the provenance is unclear, with no traceability or UK meat assurance. Contains gluten. The cheapest option, but hard even to call this a “sausage”.
