I tried Londons 'best sausage rolls' people say are a religious experience and one was l
Sausage rolls are as British as rain. When I moved here from Norway, I had never heard of one, and I certainly had no opinions on where sells the best.
Five years later, I am rather partial to Greggs'. But one butcher's in Hackney supposedly does sausage rolls better than even the blue and yellow giant.
The Ginger Pig has eight shops across the capital, all selling the finest cuts of chicken, quail, guinea fowl, pigeon, beef, lamb, and more. But what attracts the masses are their sausage rolls.
The legendary pastries are allegedly so good one person said on Google Reviews: "The sausage rolls are a religious experience. Unmatched and undisputed kings of their trade."
The shop itself looks like any butcher's from the outside, with low awnings and cuts of fresh meat proudly displayed in a classic glass counter. But a peak into the kitchen reveals another counter, this one filled to the brim with sausage rolls and pastries.
While the traditional sausage roll was sold out, I did get my hands on a stilton version and a harissa lamb one. Each cost me £5.50, and weighed more than five Greggs pastries combined.
The hefty parcels unfurled to reveal the most golden, flaky pastry I've ever seen. My fingers wore a shiny coat of butter as soon as they touched the hunk of meat, and the gentle sheen each roll gave off was reminiscent of the finest jewellery.
One bite of the stilton sausage roll was enough to blow my mind. With a strong undercurrent of blue cheese, the meat's earthiness, perfectly seasoned, was elevated to impossible heights.
A generous helping of pepper added a punch that momentarily distracted from the stilton's sharpness, while the pastry enveloped the whole affair in the most comforting of manners. Over in the harissa roll, the lamb's soft presence floated along on a quiet stream of herbs and spices, melting into the pastry with great ease.
The two sausage rolls are without a doubt the best I've had. I'll be heading to Viccy Park as often as I can in the hopes of catching a traditional sausage roll before they sell out. But according to the butcher behind the counter, that can happen quickly.
Find the Ginger Pig at 99 Victoria Park Rd, Lauriston Rd, London E9 7HJ
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