It’s one of our favourite dates in the culinary year, a feverish time when scrutiny falls to the puff of pastry and mince of meat; that’s right, the Great Sausage Roll-Off finally returns after a hiatus of three years.
If you’re new to Britain’s search for the best sausage roll in the land, it’s a competition that launched in 2013, thanks to Claire Morgan and Angus McKean, general managers of The Red Lion pub at Barnes. Chefs of all stripes from across the country present their best sausage-roll efforts, which are whittled down to a shortlist of 16 entries for a judging panel to decide who will be the champion.
The current titleholder (from 2020’s roll-off) is Alan Chilton of The Bower Inn in Somerset, who served up an impressive entry of Old English pork flavoured with coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, caraway, chilli and garlic.
This year’s judging panel includes Kate Nicholls OBE (UK Hospitality CEO), chef Simon Rimmer (Sunday Brunch), chef Pip Lacey (Hicce), broadcaster James O’Brien (LBC) and chef Daniel Clifford (Midsummer House) with food and beer writer Melissa Cole returning as compere. The entry criteria is extremely broad, and while ‘front-row’ tickets might have sold out, all are still welcome to attend to watch the judging action. Apart from the main pub area, there’ll be a TV set up to show a live stream of the event to bars outside in the covered garden.
As for trying the sausage rolls themselves? You can bid to sample various meaty morsels (chefs cook 12 sausage rolls each, with just four of them going to the judges), and the money raised goes to Hospitality Action.
The final 16 chefs are:
- Sam Seedhouse – The Bird in Hand, Knowl Hill
- Eden Allsworth –The Ferry House, Sheerness
- Josh Robbins – The White Horse Pub (Elite Bistros)
- David Steel – Houston & Hawkes
- Diego Uribe – The Holly Bush, Hampstead
- Sarah Heward – The Real Food Cafe, Tyndrum
- Dav Browning – Ocean View at the Dome, Plymouth
- Elisha Ovia – Eli & Pie Nine Elms, @eliandpie
- Adam Lestrelle – The Fat Badger, Richmond
- Dan Coles – The Lord Nelson, Burton Joyce
- Ben Handley – The Duck Inn, Stanhoe
- Tom Lilley – The Antelope Inn, Lighthorne
- Lee Cooper – The Bedford Lodge Hotel, Newmarket
- Sue McGrath – The Vine Buckden
- Mathew Follas – Bramble Restaurant Sherborne
- Edward Kilty – Kilty&Co
So, roll on down, cheer on your favourite chef over a drink, support the hospitality industry and celebrate the savoury pastry snack that’s been gracing buffets and banquets for decades.
More about The Great Sausage Roll Off
Where is it? 2 Castelnau, London SW13 9RU
When does it open? 8 February 2023
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @RedLionBarnes.
Subscribe to be the first to get the news from Hot Dinners
