Product placement vol 2 - Porky Whites / Encona

I used to be a vegetarian, and I remember that cooking sausages for the kids one Guy Fawkes night was a big contributor to my decision not to be a vegetarian any more a while later. When I started eating meat, though, I found that sausages were like real coffee: cheap ones were disgusting and expensive ones were disappointing even at their best the taste never matched the smell.

Then we stopped shopping in Tesco and went to Asda for staples instead, and in the "local" section we found some sausages: sausages which restored my belief in sausages: Porky Whites. Every time I eat them my faith is re-invigorated, these are the best sausages I have ever had and probably ever will.

After a while I had a look at the back of the packets to see where these Local supersausages are from and .. it's where I grew up! I was born and bred in Ewell, Home of Porky Whites - but I don't remember White's the butchers as I didn't buy much raw meat as a child: the only reason I knew of the Epsom butchers, the Boyts (Epsom and Ewell form a borough) was that one or more of my sisters went out with one or more of them. All I remember of Ewell is The Loose Box Wine Bar which I frequented from opening until 1983: semi-happy days making half-a-lager or a coke last all night unless someone working was buying. I remember Mr Do was the video game du jour, I played it a few times but never realy put the hours in to get good. The boxes were never quite loose enough to let me in either.

We've been getting these every week or so from Asdamart for a couple of years now, you have to search up the aisle for them as they're not even shelved with the regular sausages. We used to wonder if we were the only people that bought them but it turns out Blakers Park cafe, just up the road, has Porky White sausage sandwiches on their menu.. I haven't had one yet.

When you see the ingredients it becomes apparent these aren't the normal sock-and-stuffing sausages:

41% pork shoulder
41% pork belly
honey
lemon
stuff (incl MSG)
natural pork casings

They aren't free range which is a shame and frankly they don't need MSG, but it's hard to believe anything that tastes this good comes from unhappy animals: the thing is, Porky Whites are cheaper than fancy supermarket own-brand sausages, let alone premium brands. We had them tonight: I lost my appetite while cooking and had them cold later with a dab of Encona West Indian Hot Pepper Sauce: absolutely delicious.

Edit: May 25: Said something on our Porky's tonight that they are "Sausage of the year 2005/06" by the Meat Awards. As good as ever. Had pepper sauce with them of course!