Hunt The Sausage! 

It's British Sausage Week! And in Swindon we make the best bangers in the country - official!

 

What better than a lovely big, sizzling sausage, eh?

 

It's a great British tradition and a Wiltshire one as well. Pork, beef, lamb, 'tandoori' - Bassett Banger! - the best of which are available right here in Swindon.

 

So why not enjoy British Sausage Week - 31 October - 06 November - by tucking into a locally-made meaty morsel; with mash, as toad-in-the-hole or as a hot dog on Guy Fawkes night.

 

Here are the true sausage specialists in Swindon.

 

1. Crump Butchers

 

 

 

 

The home of the famous Bassett Banger, and where 28 different varieties of fresh sausages are on offer.

 

Choose from sweet chilli to one they call the honey monster! - all carefully handmade by Andy Crump and his master butchers on the premises.

 

The perfect place then to send SwindonWebTV's Sam Malik, then, to find out more - with quite hilarious consequences! Watch video above.

   

 

2. Hinton Marsh Farm

 

 

A family-run farm who have been producing sausages since 1956, with three Great Taste awards in the last five years.

 

Order direct from them or pay a visit to the Farmers' Market at the Swindon Designer Outlet on a Sunday and you can tuck into one of their freshly cooked specials.

 

With a minimum 80% meat these bangers are a different class!

 

 

3. Helen Browning

 

 

The name Helen Browning is synonymous with top quality and her sausages do not disappoint.

 

All are made preservative-free and contain only organic meat from their Bishopstone farm mixed with organic seasonings and spices. Some are even gluten free.

 

 

Best of all, their organic hot dog won Best Innovative Sausage in the British Sausage Week Awards 2014, beating stiff competition from 500 butchers and retailers across the country!

 

Helen Browning’s organic Speedy Sausages are also available in Sainsbury and Tesco or order online. Best of all pop into Helen Browning's pub, The Royal Oak in Bishopstone, to try.

 

 

4. Butts Farm Shop

 

 

Made on the premises using their own traditional and rare breeds. Choose from pork, beef and lamb.

 

No stranger to a spot of celebrity endorsement Butts Farm is a favourite of both Rick Stein and John Tarode from BBC Masterchef, who is partial to their Butts Banger!

 

 

Top Tip: Don't prick them!

 

It's tempting when they're sizzling in the pan or on the grill, but don't prick your sausages, says Darren Turner, head chef at 20 The Kings in Old Town.

 

"It'll dry them out and they won't taste as good. Even when they're spitting the most, just keeping turning them. Keeping the juices inside will increase the flavour.

 

"But always choose the best quality you can. Cheap sausages - no matter how tempting - nearly always are too high in fat and salt and have very little meat content.

 

"We make our own here at 20 at The Kings and always have sausages on the menu."

 

> 20 at The Kings - website

 

> Pub food in Swindon