EDD Sausage Rolls

[Marmora Man]

in the "Love London" thread it has been claimed that eating EDD sausage rolls is pure snobbery by Claphamite incomers who probably read the Guardian. It was also claimed that Greggs sausage rolls are as good or better.

This was discussed, briefly, in a thread about 12 months ago. Are they the best?

I would argue the following:

EDD sausage rolls are very good and, in my opinion, far better than Greggs sausage rolls - my evidence is my taste buds - subjective I know, but thoroughly tested over the years. I would cite in support of my argument the fact that the EDD sausage rolls are:

a. Made on the premises (by the owner)

b. Made from very meaty sausage meat - on eating it is possible to feel the texture of the sausage meat.

c. The pastry is buttery - taste tells

d. Have herbs in - taste tells

Greggs by contrast:

a. Are not made on the premises

b. Are made from sausage meat with no texture, more of a meat flavoured paste - probably, tho' unless Greggs come clean I cannot prove this, with a significant mechanically recovered meat content.

c. Have no herbs in - taste tells

d. Pastry has little or no butter - taste tells.

I suggested an objective blind tasting in the "Love London" thread - not sure how we could organise this but willing to bring along the goods for the test. The tester must be an objective person - perhaps a local chef would oblige - bon3yard over to you?

Disclaimer: I am not, and have never been, a member of the East Dulwich Deli.

[*Bob*]

What's the price difference?

[snorky]

There is no "better", there is just choice - but that is hardly a level playing field is it and choice is maybe as much to do with tastebuds as with the seeping of advertising and marketing.

There is of course the more quantifiable, "better for you" - but neither product is going to do you any good really

[Marmora Man]

Two answers:

Price - EDD - ?1.75. Gregg's - ?1.00 or ?1.25

Snorky - agree this is a subjective judgement, but there can be good, better and best when comparing two similar items. There is a vast difference between "Wallaby White" & "Kanga Rouge" wines and the finest Claret or Chablis, there is a difference between a Rolls Royce and a Robin Reliant - both do the same job, but the RR is a better car - will last longer, protect you better in a crash, keep its value longer, give you a smoother ride.

As you'll be aware Louisa prompted this thread by asserting that my taste for EDD sausage rolls was somehow based upon my snobbish belief in paying more in a smart shop. I'm trying to bring some objectivity to the discussion.

I'd also agree that sausage are probably not high on the Chief Medical Officer's recommendations - but nor is my love of malt whisky, red wine, belly of pork, curry, Guinness and many other fine things of life.

[snorky]

PS, I havent eaten meat in about many many years ( decades ? ) , so am trying to be impartial on the Sausage question

[SeanMacGabhann]

Which is of course the whole point and why this debate isn't REALLY about sausage rolls. I'm still unsure if Louisa meant what she was saying or if she was enjoying a little forum shite-stirring.

[EDmummy]

Apologies if I am a little confused but is Louisa saying here that someone's taste buds are associate with snobbishness or their class? I am not a sausage roll fan as they are far too fatty/oily for my taste (and that is not a social statement) but when it comes down to meatiness, EDD's win hands down!

[SeanMacGabhann]

I'm posting this one specifically to address Louisa's accusation at me that something is so JUST because I say so (in this case "there are better quality sausage rolls than Greggs")

Louisa took great offence at this so I will do my best to be clear

Things we know about Louisa and meat:

She cares about good sausage meat

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?9,226157,226937#msg-226937

is able to differentiate between quality without anything other than her say-so/opinion

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?9,226157,226935#msg-226935

and has a strong dislike of "dodgy" & "shitty" meat

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,214074,215570#msg-215570

So who am I to say that Greggs sausage rolls are not as good as AN Other's ?

I can't ask Greggs - they won't put the nutritional content on their website

Well we can agree that Gregg's sausage rolls are cheap surely? And given that it's a sausage roll it's worth knowing what allows cheap sausage meat

A quote from the Channel4 website (David Gardener, writer and editor of independent food website, sausagelinks.co.uk)

"Economy sausages are essentially pork slurry made from recovered meat with fat, bread and colourings added to it. The mixture is emulsified in an industrial process that mixes meat and incorporates fat and bread into it to spread the meat finer. If you cook one of these sausages and cut it in half, it will have a smooth, even face and a consistent colour."

Mmmmm... already I'm salivating. Do I KNOW for a fact that Greggs use this kind of meat? I can only say I have eaten enough crap sausages to put it in that bracket and say I would be surprised if it wasn't

What about quality pork sausage then? The kind I'm tasting in EDD rolls - according to the same site:

"At the top end, the ingredients list is much shorter; something like 40% belly pork, 40% boned shoulder of pork, 10% breadcrumbs, 5% water and 5% herbs and spices."

Is anyone else going to stand up for Greggs sausage rolls and say the meat is good quality. By all means say you like them - cheap stodgy shite is usually held together with fat and spices which is why we crave them, but objectively, better quality it ain't

Or take this article by Matthew Fort in, yes, the Guardian (and before anyone pipes up on that score, if you have a problem with the facts says so - don't pathetically dismiss it as "well they would say that" - is it true in which case answer it. if it isn't true, come back with salient facts)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2000/oct/27/foodanddrink.recipes

As well as detailing the slurry, gristle, bone and mechanically reformed meat (And remember THIS is the meat Louisa is preferring to a steak from a butchers in Peckham????) the question of bias, status and cash was raised

"when tasting blind, and when price was not an issue, your average, everyday sausage consumer knew quality when he or she tasted it. Each year the sausages that went through to the final were the best in each area. That is, they had the highest meat content, the best quality meat, natural casings and fresh herbs or spices, and were made by small-scale butchers."

Or local boy Jay Rayner's article

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/jan/18/budget-food-supermarkets

which highlights why the poor have to make do with shitty food because the supermarkets dictate the content. Not the middle classes looking down on the poor - but the very shops which present themselves as saviours of the poor

"To increase the amount of apple in an apple pie by more than 40% cost 0.8p. As the cost of raw ingredients is only a quarter of the finished product's retail price, these really are tiny amounts. All of these improvements, even represented as double-digit percentages, may look marginal but the differences in the finished product are discernible. In a series of blind taste tests that I conducted, the overwhelming majority of people identified our new improved products and preferred them. And if that sounds like banal advertising patter, so be it."

Britain has been the laughing stock of the world when it comes to food for too long - attitudes which dictate that a Greggs sausage roll is no worse than a gourmet one would have us stand still. And die 10 years younger to boot

[*Bob*]

In an effort to up the ante and sustain her pointless argument, Louisa overshot her bolt

'What tastes best' is a completely different argument to what 'value for money', or 'affordability'. Personally (not having remembered the prices) I thought Greggs would cost less and EDD would cost more.

I bet Greggs make more profit per unit sold than the EDD do on theirs.

[daizie]

i really do need to taste a sausge roll now from EDD

[capt_birdseye]

Greggs usually offer 2 for 1 on sausage rolls. They are decent hangover fodder but that's about it.

Can I add Luca's sausage rolls to the list? They're pretty tasty too.

[macroban]

Where can I buy an EDD sausage roll holder?

[beef]

Doesn't anyone make their own sausage rolls anymore? Surely they would be best? Buy puff pastry if you don't want to make it yourself, sausage meat from William Rose, herbs and spices et voila! Or are basic life skills passed over in preference to sodding powerpoint presentations nowadays? I remember when deli food was a little more exotic than sausage roll.

[SimonM]

The problem with home-made sausage rolls - or cheese scones, eccles cakes, whatever - is that realistically you have to make at least a dozen. Even if you freeze a lot the home-made product is so superior to the shop-bought you end up eating far too many for your own good!

For shop-bought sausage rolls anywhere but Greggs, and I agree Luca's are pretty good - especially the ones with apricot added - as are Ayres of course, eaten still warm in the street as you leave! (see other thread somewhere)

[AllforNun]

mmmmmmmmm..............wait for it.............doh........ray.........me.........fa...........so........AYRES !

[karter]

macroban Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Where can I buy an EDD sausage roll holder?

Try next door in the Green Cuisine cook shop.

Seriously now, Green and Blue do excellent hot sausage rolls too

[Marmora Man]

So - lots of good sausage rolls in ED - which is a good thing. Only one person, so far, standing up for Gregg's sausage rolls tho'.

[jimbo1964]

Pie van on Northcross Rd at the weekend do tasty ones.

[SimonM]

Oh yes the Pie van is terrific. Last weekend they were doing bacon, potato and pea pasties as an experiment...most enjoyable!

[Pickle]

I love the pie van on Northcross Rd - even better the lady that runs it is from NZ, so the pies and sausage rolls are just like the ones I had growing up. Northcross Rd does my waistline no favours on a Saturday - cakes from the Blackbird Bakery stall, fudge from the "fudge lady" and pies!

[cate]

Do the ones in EDD go by the name Gloucester Old Spot? Last time I bought one in there they did. If so then I don't think they are home made but are available at lots of different delis, frozen and then baked. I have seen them in other delis around the country. But they are tasty.

[Louisa]

I see the ex Claphamite EDD sausage roll munching organic brigade are out in full force to defend the new look ED ;-)

Seriously though, Greggs are fine if your on a budget and maybe some of you should realise that ED isnt an exclusive joint for the likes of the above who think spending over 4 quid on a loaf of bread is acceptable. Some people do actually have a budget. Anyway, I love sausage rolls!

Louisa.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Greggs = 2 sausage rolls = 99p

Feed a family of 4 for a week they will.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

A week? How profligate of you Michael.

[AnotherPaul]

Greggs shops emit an offensive stench of processed gloop. Would rather eat my own waste.

Before 'anyone' bangs on about middle class Claphamites or how sausage rolls won WW2, that's my personal opinion based on the fact my nostrils flare and my eyes smart every time I go anywhere near a Greggs. Oh, and their logo's sh!t too.

ap