About Magic Bean Emporium
Vegan sausage rolls are a variety of snack that I’ve long neglected. When faced with a pastry counter piled high with baked goods, I find it tough to turn down pork. Thankfully though, I have a man on the ground in the Midlands, willing to partake in the eating, reviewing and rating of plant-based pastry. This dispatch comes from Tristan.
The Magic Bean Emporium sits at the bottom of Northampton Train Station, directly below the Starbucks. Despite its proximity, to chain coffee shops, it couldn’t be more different to the competition. Adorned with host of Harry Potter memorabilia, the Magic Bean Emporium serves as shrine to ‘the boy who lived’ and has one of the widest selections of trinkets and wands this side of Hogwarts. Inside, the cafe serves quality coffee alongside delicious baked goods, making it a perfect place for the hungry commuter. Hagrid, eat your heart out.
Address
Northampton Railway Station, Black Lion Hill, Northampton NN1 1SP
1. Appearance
Did the sausage roll look appetising? Was it lovingly displayed in the shop window?
The sausage roll looked appealing, with flaky, golden and with a clearly defined filling.
9/10
2. Price
How much did you pay for it? Was it good value for money?
With it being in a train station, the price was a little higher than it would have been elsewhere.
6/10
3. Packaging
Was it carefully wrapped? Did it arrive home intact?
Nice simple brown bag packaging, perfect for storing the red or brown sauce offered. It’s also worth noting no napkin was offered. They were available but weren’t directly handed to me, which would have been a nice addition.
8/10
4. Weight
Did it have a satisfying weight? Was it reassuringly dense?
A fairly decent density, not to heavy (so as to affect the commute) but enough to know you were eating it.
7/10
5. Warmth
Was it warm and ready to eat or cold on arrival?
It was pulled from a warming box on the counter. I’m unsure whether it was pre-cooked and cooled in the box or the warm was by design. Whatever the case, it was a suitable temperature for eating on the spot and really added to the commute. It was also the right temperature for handing some off to a child, useful when travelling with kids.
7/10
6. Pastry
Was it buttery and flaky? Did it hold together?
The pastry had a good overall taste but the flakiness on the first few bites made it unsuitable for a clean and tidy commute. If you’ve got an important meeting or hot date, then I wouldn’t recommend picking this up as a snack, as you’ll likely get covered in flakes.
Worth noting that larger bits taken further down the snack we’re much better and the flaking subsided substantially over time.
8/10
7. Quality of meat or filling
Was the filling substantial or did you mainly chew air?
Although there was filling, it wasn’t the fullest I’ve seen. That’s in comparison to some more ‘artisan’ baked goods. The filling’s texture was soft (as is the case often with Vegan alternatives) but wasn’t so soft as to be unenjoyable.
4/10
8. Flavour
Was the sausage roll delicious and well-seasoned?
Super! Salty, herby quality. For those in the market for a meatier taste this is probably not quite right, in comparison to the Greggs variant. The pastry was suitably buttery and all round, this had good flavour.
9/10
9. Satisfaction
Were you left satisfied or wanting more?
Would recommend. The service was good, the offering of condiments (particularly brown sauce) was great. The roll itself was perfect for an on the go, tasty treat.
8/10
10. Bonus Points
Did anything warrant bonus points? Eg. a little pot of mustard or friendly service from the staff?
The offering of red/brown sauce really did make the difference to the service. Also the cafe itself has a Harry potter theme with various memorabilia, including a sorting hat!.
10/10
sAUSAGE ROLL RATING
76/100
Sausage roll leaderboard
Where does Magic Bean Emporium rank the sausage roll leaderboard?