Sausage Review - we review sausages

Gt Garnetts (Barnston, Essex) - Flitch Royale

We last sampled these big bold sausages a couple of years ago, so we thought it would be about time to try them once again. We happened to be over High Easter / Dunmow way so we took the opportunity to drop in to the farm butchery...

Gt Garnett's of Barnston, near Dunmow, Essex, is a family run farm business operating since 1970.  Welfare of their animals and the quality of their products is a priority for them. They say that their business thrives on the enthusiasm of the whole team at Gt Garnetts whose commitment to stockmanship, welfare and animal husbandry is of the highest standard. They also say they pride themselves on their ability to produce a quality pork product from a happy well cared for herd of pigs. Gt Garnett's pork comes from their own free range large white pigs and all the sausages are made and tied by hand at the farm.

The labelling doesn't state percentage of meat, however the butchery staff confirmed 80%+ would be about right. These are now quite a large, firm, well filled sausage in the raw.  The colouring of the sausage pre-cooked is still quite dark which will no doubt be the added sundried tomatoes and tomato powder. Quality natural skins on these too. A definite increase in sausage size though compared to previous. The sample weighed in at 123g. That's not far off a quarter pounder!

These sausages do contain rusk, so please be advised that they are not gluten free.

There was a lovely aroma from pan as they sizzled away, and the natural skins did brown well and indeed kept fully intact. Split sausages we know doesn't affect the taste, but come on, splits (and serious bursts) do nothing for presentation now does it! Going by the cooked up results though, they must be 80% at the very least.

On the last review in Novemeber 2023 we did note that shrinkage and weight loss from cooking was noticeable with a little oil residue along with some crust being left in the pan. This time however things were different.

Shrinkage was next to nothing and weight loss at 8% which from our perspective, is acceptable. Hardly noticeable extra oil in the pan, and definitely none of that burnt residue crust we've seen on the previous sampling.

The texture this time was a good medium. We'd had an open texture last time which caused the sausage to crumble, not so this time which got thumbs up from the troops.

Taste-wise though really very very good, with the tomato and herbs (basil and oregano) coming through nicely. General seasoning was spot on for us.

One of the team did say though she felt that the skins were just a touch chewy. Myself I didn't get that.

Would we buy again is the question? Definitely. Certainly another visit to the farm butchery is in the diary.


Gt Garnetts (Barnston, Essex) - Flitch Royale    (Nov 2023 / Mar 2026)

Here's the sample details:
130x32mm before cooking, 130x32mm after.
123g before cooking, 113g after.
That's a shrinkage of approx 0% & weight loss of approx 8%.
6 loose sausages 672g at £7.29, that's £10.85 / kg.

   

 

 

 

 

Nov 2023

     
Nov 2023

www.greatgarnetts.co.uk

Great Garnett's
Bishops Green,
Barnston,
Essex, CM6 1NEA ​

Tel: 01245 231 331

Shop opening hours:

Thursday – 8am – 4pm
Friday 8am – 4pm
Saturday 9am – 1pm