There's nothing quite like a warm sausage roll on your lunch break to lift your spirits ahead of a dull and drizzly afternoon, with the flaky comfort food a firm favourite up and down the country. Luckily, you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy a satisfying and tasty roll, as one discerning group of foodie reporters recently discovered.
For an article published in the Liverpool Echo this week, the team of writers tested out sausage rolls from Marks & Spencer, Asda, and Tesco, pitting them against each other in terms of factors such as price, quality and taste. They were left particularly surprised by the quality of one 98p offering.
M&S Our Best Ever Sausage Roll - £4.80 for two in a pack - 5/5
The reporters noted that M&S was a tough one to beat for lunchtime treats, with their 'top tier offering of sandwiches, wraps, salads and general picky bits' being second to none. On the downside, the food can be on the pricier side when compared with other supermarkets.
The M&S Our Best Ever Sausage Roll did not disappoint, with the ' golden brown, beautifully flaky and soft' puff pastry leaving them thoroughly impressed. Although the price initially appeared a little steep, they also reasoned the snack was hefty enough to share with a friend or enjoy over the course of two days.
Pleased by just how much meat was packed inside the pastry, the reporters wrote: "The meat was really good quality - very savoury and salty, with no nasty gristle or fatty bits, yet still lovely and moist. It had an oniony flavour to it as well and lots of seasoning, making it taste like something you'd get from an artisan deli counter".
Tesco Six Pack Sausage Rolls - £1.95 for six - 5/5
These Tesco -bought pastries can be eaten hot or cold, and the authors decided to heat them up in the oven for the 18 minutes recommended on the pack. When cooked through, the pastries emerged 'golden and crispy', with the foodies impressed by the texture.
Praising the delicious filling, they continued: "The meat was soft and seasoned to perfection, salty and full of flavour without any signs of the fat or gristle which usually puts me off. The sausage roll fell apart in my mouth and tasted just like a Greggs sausage roll - I’m definitely glad I bought the pack of six."
Asda Essentials Six Pack Sausage Rolls - 98p for six - 5/5
Having initially been worried there might be some unsavoury gristle or fat in Asda's bargain roll, the writers admitted they were 'pleasantly surprised' by just how 'perfect' it actually was.
The sausagemeat was said to be 'really flavoursome', while the pastry wasn't dry at all. The only downside was a bit of an aftertaste, which they thought wasn't too much of an issue.
They concluded: "In terms of pastry, it wasn't too and tasted really buttery and nice. I actually think these ones tasted and felt a lot fresher than the other Asda 10-pack I always purchase, so I'll most definitely be making the swap."
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