About Arundel Castle
Arundel Castle is enormous and staggeringly impressive. I visited on a drizzly day in August and was awed by the scale and beauty of the place. The grounds are immaculately kept and the castle is home to a vast array of exhibits, from implements of war to paintings by Van Dyke, Gainsborough and Reynolds. Power and privilege emanate from the cavernous spaces inside the castle and speak of a level of wealth and status that few will ever know. After the drive down from Hove and some milling around the grounds, I stopped off at the coffee shop for a sausage roll. No day out is complete without baked goods.
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1. Appearance
Did the sausage roll look appetising? Was it lovingly displayed in the shop window?
The sausage rolls were kept warm inside a glass case. The queue moved slowly and it felt torturous being able to see but not taste them.
7/10
2. Price
How much did you pay for it? Was it good value for money?
£2.75 was a reasonable price for a big sausage roll and felt fairer than the prices for the drinks.
6/10
3. Packaging
Was it carefully wrapped? Did it arrive home intact?
The sausage roll was handed over on a big plate. There was a separate napkin and cutlery station close by.
7/10
4. Weight
Did it have a satisfying weight? Was it reassuringly dense?
It had a bit of weight to it and the ratio of pork to pastry was perfectly acceptable.
7/10
5. Warmth
Was it warm and ready to eat or cold on arrival?
The sausage roll was kept deliciously warm.
9/10
6. Pastry
Was it buttery and flaky? Did it hold together?
The pastry was flaky but this was in part because of the way it was kept warm. Much of the pastry flaked off as I ate and I had a mound to hoover up off the plate.
6/10
7. Quality of meat or filling
Was the filling substantial or did you mainly chew air?
The filling was tasty. The meat had a nice pink colour and it wasn’t trying to do anything fancy. No gristle was encountered.
7/10
8. Flavour
Was the sausage roll delicious and well-seasoned?
There were classic sausage roll flavours but a touch more pepper would have improved it.
7/10
9. Satisfaction
Were you left satisfied or wanting more?
I was very satisfied and afterwards felt much revived.
7/10
10. Bonus Points
Did anything warrant bonus points? Eg. a little pot of mustard or friendly service from the staff?
The experience was let down by the inability to pay quickly. A long queue formed because there was only one guy making coffee. He was trying his best to keep up with the orders but another staff member could have been used to serve those that didn’t need hot drinks.
1/10
Sausage roll rating
64/100
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