Cranborne Stores - The Salisbury Sausage
By: Cranborne Stores
Cranborne rear a selection of rare breeds on the estate of the Marquess of Salisbury. Breeds include Middle Whites, Large Blacks, Berkshires and Tamworths. They are turned out to forage in large enclosures in the woods or on downland, where they are allowed to mature slowly. Rick Stein selected Cranborne as one of his Food Heroes.
They produce a wide range of sausages (far wider than the selction listed on the site), bacon, pork, lamb, rare breed beef and game.
I brought 2 packs of sausages at Winchester Farmers market (the largest farmers market in the country with around 10,000 visitors every fortnight and highly recommended).
The Green Thai sausages were superb, highly flavoured and tasty nuggests of meat which cooked down with onions and coconut milk to make a easy green curry sauce with sticky Thai rice.
The star in the range must be the Salisbury. Like all the sausages they make this is a meaty sausage made with just enough rusk to bind and keep some moisture. The quality meat meant little fat in the pan. The spicing is brave - lots of pepper, sage and thyme gives it a knock out taste.
Possibly to strong for some but my favorite sausage this year, a easy 10/10 for £7.25 a kilo.
They sell at farmers markets in Dorset/Hampshire, via mail order and in the wonderful Cranborne Stores.