In association with
British Sausage Week is an annual celebration of the taste, quality and diversity of the traditional British Banger. From sausage dishes from around the world to the quality of British sausage meat means we have lots to shout – but how do you like your sausage?
Just like snowflakes, no two types of sausage are the same. The same goes for their histories. Take a look at our list of some of Britain’s most popular regional sausages and how their counties created them, compiled here in honour of British Sausage Week:
Cumberland Sausage (Cumbria)
Famed for its flat spiral shape, the traditional Cumberland sausage is chunky and flavoured with black pepper. The key is that after the sausage casing is filled it remains unlinked, leaving a single long sausage to be curled into that signature coil.
It is speculated that the sausage was first created by German miners who travelled to Cumbria in the 16th Century and wanted sausages similar to those they ate at home. The sausage derived its name from the Cumberland pig, bred to thrive in Cumbria’s damp climate by local butchers.
The Cumberland sausage has since become a distinct speciality of Cumbria; so distinct that in 2011 it was awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, meaning that only products made to exacting traditional standards can be sold as authentic Cumberland sausages.
Gloucester Sausage (Gloucestershire)
The Gloucester Sausage is characterised by its tender meat, traditionally Gloucester Old Spot pork, which is seasoned with sage.
The Old Spot pig originates from Berkeley Vale in Gloucestershire, believed to be a product of the Berkeley and the Gloucester pig. Gloucester has long been known for its cheese-making and apple orchards, and Old Spots feed on the by-products of these – notably fallen apples – giving them beneficial protein and increasing the quality of their famously juicy pork. Folk stories tell that the pigs’ black spots are actually bruises from apples falling in Gloucestershire’s orchards.
Lincolnshire Sausage
Meaty in texture, the Lincolnshire sausage is defined by its coarsely cut pork and generous sage seasoning. Often, ice or water is used to lower the temperature of the meat, resulting in the sausage’s unusual open texture.
The Lincolnshire sausage’s herby taste comes from the sage, which Lincolnshire soil can grow in abundance thanks to the county’s comparatively low annual rainfall level and sage’s preference for drier conditions.
The sausage is such a prominent part of the county’s history that it is celebrated annually at the Lincolnshire Sausage Festival in Lincoln, where last year over 25,000 Lincolnshire Sausages were bought.
Oxford Sausage (Oxfordshire)
Continuing the refined reputation of its namesake city, the Oxford Sausage incorporates pork with veal and is richly spiced with sage, savory, marjoram and lemon.
Originally skinless, crescent-shaped and known as an Oxford Skate, Oxfordshire’s signature sausage has fallen in and out of favour since the 18th Century. However, with independent local producers gaining more momentum, a reworked version of the sausage is becoming increasingly popular.
Square Slicing Sausage (Lorne)
Not your conventional fare, the Square Slicing Sausage of Lorne, Scotland, consists of a mixture of ground beef and pork fashioned into a rectangular block. It is cut into convenient square slices and served, traditionally, alongside a cooked breakfast or within a sandwich.
The exact origin of Lorne’s sausage is debated. Though many believe that
