Tested: this is the tastiest (and nastiest!) sausage roll in the supermarket

One sausage roll is not the same as another, as FavorFlav’s supermarket sausage roll test shows. From far too doughy and dry to a sausage you wouldn’t want in your mouth. Which supermarket sells the tastiest one? And which should you give a wide berth?

We previously wrote an ode to the sausage roll, because a warm, doughy roll with a spicy sausage filling: we love it. We get the tastiest ones from the baker, obviously, but you can also find us with one of these pastry bombs at the petrol station and train station. And with our hungover heads on Sunday morning in the supermarket. That turns out not to be an unqualified success, because not every supermarket has mastered the art of baking a sausage roll (properly), and when asked whether we ‘like sausage’, we didn’t give an unequivocal yes every time either.

5 supermarkets

For our test, we included five supermarkets: Jumbo (where a sausage roll costs €0.87), Albert Heijn (€0.80),
Lidl (€0.80), Coop (€1.09) and Dirk van den Broek (€0.85). At Aldi and Vomar, they had not been baked yet, so unfortunately they were excluded from the test. All the sausage rolls were tasted on the same day they were bought and warmed up in the oven.

Handy box

The differences between the sausage rolls in our test are huge. What stands out is not only the difference in size and thickness but also in colour, with Lidl as the pale exception. And may we give a shout out to Dirk for selling the sausage rolls in a handy cardboard box? Easy to transport and eat.

The test panel tastes all the sausage rolls blind, meaning that only the note-taker knows where each sausage roll was bought.

Where’s the curry?

We start with sausage roll 1, bought at Jumbo. Robbert: ‘Looks fine, nice colour, good edges and a tasty bite.’ Lauretta: ‘The puff pastry is okay, but the filling is disappointing.’ ‘True,’ Robbert adds: ‘Boring and tasteless.’ Jeffrey: ‘You really need a dollop of curry with this.’

The second sausage roll comes from Albert Heijn and is considerably smaller than Jumbo’s, but it also unmistakably looks like a classic sausage roll. How does it taste? Lauretta: ‘The puff pastry is a little dry and the sausage has a more frikandel-like texture.’ Robbert: ‘A little more peppery.’ Jeffrey: ‘A perfectly fine sausage roll, exactly what you’d expect when you buy a sausage roll in the supermarket.’

Past its date

Then number 3 in the test. Lidl’s sausage roll. Its looks leave much to be desired. This is a pale, flat sausage roll that doesn’t look appealing. Robbert, after one bite: ‘Guys, this makes absolutely no sense. There is far too much soggy dough. And it’s not dry, not crispy, it seems undercooked.’ Another bite: ‘And the puff pastry is far too sweet.’ Lauretta: ‘The puff pastry tastes like an apple turnover. Was it stored next to something sweet? And the sausage is grainy and tastes like grilled sausage that’s past its use-by date.’ Robbert: ‘The consistency isn’t right either.’ Bo: ‘And it doesn’t look good; this is very unattractive.’ Ouch.

Quickly on to the next one, Coop’s. Jeffrey: ‘This sausage roll looks beautifully golden-brown, as if it’s been on a beach holiday.’ Also striking: the substantial sausage. Lauretta: ‘A crunch when you cut into it, mmm.’ Robbert: ‘Yes, this is delicious, well-seasoned and really different from the ones before it; it really stands out in terms of flavour.’ Lauretta: ‘Nicely salty too, but not too salty. What a relief after number 3.’ Jeffrey: ‘This is a winner, it seems like a sausage roll from a traditional bakery.’

Factory sausage

Number 5 comes from Dirk. Lauretta: ‘Looks good too, a little paler than number 4, but definitely okay.’ Robbert: ‘This isn’t my sausage. And it’s not my roll either; it has a cardboard-like taste.’ Lauretta: ‘I’m missing herbs; this tastes like factory sausage. Chemical.’ Robbert: ‘Chicken broth. You have to like that. It dominates too much.’ Jeffrey: ‘I would never eat this one. What a shame.’

The winner

The test panel is clear and unforgiving. Lidl completely misses the mark with its sausage roll. Not baked properly, no tasty pastry, a resounding fail. The winning sausage roll comes from Coop. It also turns out to be the most expensive (€1.09 versus 85 cents), but those few extra pennies are absolutely worth it. Chapeau, Coop!

And would you like to make a sausage roll yourself? It’s easier than you think and incredibly delicious. Good luck!

Also read:

• Tested: this is the tastiest tompouce from the supermarket (and the nastiest)
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• Recipe: Flügel cupcakes from the Airfryer (and how to make them)