Putting a real culinary spin on this year’s British Sausage Week (4-10 November) is hugely popular chef and TV personality, Simon Rimmer, co-host of Channel 4’s Sunday Brunch and with three restaurants and numerous cookery books to his name.
Simon knows all too well the importance of using quality produce – particularly when it comes to serving sausages, and said, “I’m thrilled to be undertaking a journey of discovery to find Britain’s Greatest Sausages. We have some of the best produce in the world and it is important that we continue to support our producers.
Showcasing magnificent sausage varieties
“As a nation, we all have our favourite sausage dish, whether it’s a sausage sandwich at breakfast or sausage and mash for dinner; but the beauty of sausages is their versatility. So this British Sausage Week why not celebrate by highlighting how sausages can be tried in different ways and join me on a mission to showcase the magnificent varieties we have right here on our doorstep.”
BPEX foodservice trade manager, Tony Goodger, said: “It’s a real privilege to have Simon at the forefront of this year’s campaign. I’m certain that his high profile will help put sausages firmly in the spotlight and encourage consumers to choose quality sausages when dining out.
“With over 500 tasty varieties in Britain to choose from, this classic dish can be presented in many innovative ways. Quality remains key, however, and we would urge that caterers source assured and Red Tractor sausages to satisfy customer concerns regarding quality, provenance and taste. This in turn will increase loyalty and sales.”
Five Minutes with Simon Rimmer…
What’s your favourite sausage dish?
Boston Baked Beans gives you those big heavy, smoky, flavours with a delicious, big, fat juicy sausage in the middle of it. It’s full of great texture; great flavour and is proper comfort food.
What’s your ultimate British sausage variety?
I like ALL sausages, anything with a bit of spice. As I’m cooking all the time I’m always trying new things and that means my favourite changes all the time.
What are your recommendations for serving sausages?
Always treat it like a good quality piece of meat, so buy the best quality sausage you can and don’t interfere with it too much. Make sure you’re allowing the sausage taste to shine through – for example, if you’re cooking a sausage casserole, use ingredients that will complement the flavours of the sausage, not overpower it.
Do you think there’s room for more innovative sausage flavours in the catering sector?
Yes! I think playing around with flavours, textures and combinations is massively important. That’s the beauty of the sausage, it is so versatile that it adapts well to different flavour combinations, and let’s face it you can never have too many sausages!
You’ve done a lot of work with beer and food matching, what do you think goes best with sausages?
There are a range of beers that have been developed to go with Steak and all red meats, Chicken and Fish and Curry and Spicy Food so you just need to match your sausage up with the right one. For instance, a lighter more traditional pork style sausage would go well with the Chicken and Fish Beer and as the sausages get heavier move on to the Steak and all red meats variety. Likewise the Curry and spicy food offering will provide the perfect accompaniment to anything spicy.
What makes sausages such a big hit for pubs and restaurants?
They are a great comfort food and I think where pubs and restaurants do well is if they promote that element of locality to their customers. If you can source good quality sausages from a local supplier, which has been produced using local ingredients then that will be attractive to your customers.
What is your top tip for chefs looking to launch their own restaurant and how to make it a success?
The biggest advice I would give to anyone is to open with brilliance, not mediocrity. So rather than think ‘I’ll get there in the end,’ don’t open until you’re brilliant.
Promotional material available to entice customers
British Sausage Week is a great promotion for the whole industry and caterers from all sectors can benefit from including a range sausage dishes across the day’s menus. To help outlets maximise interest and exposure, BPEX has designed an array of promotional material including themed posters and menu displays, which will be sure to entice customers.
For more information and a range of recipe ideas visit http://porkforcaterers.bpex.org.uk/ and www.lovepork.co.uk. To request point of sale literature, email info@bpexfoodservice.co.uk