About the pork, maple and bacon sausage roll
With people, as with sausage rolls, giving second chances can be rewarding and so it was this morning, as I walked around Hove in the spring sunshine. I pushed my young son in his pram and delighted in the quiet that the streets were missing all of yesterday. As I walked, I felt lucky to have escaped the hangovers that marked the long weekends of yesteryear. In the past, I’d have been returning home whilst others got their coffee. Now, I had an excuse to go to bed early and be more responsible.
As I drew closer to Palmiera Square, I spotted Down to Earth Coffee and wondered if I’d been too harsh before. Homely sausage rolls were displayed in the window alongside indulgent sweets and it felt beyond time that I reevaluated my earlier judgement of the place.
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1. Appearance
Did the sausage roll look appetising? Was it lovingly displayed in the shop window?
The sausage rolls were nicely displayed on wooden boards in the shop window. I liked that pricing was clearly visible.
8/10
2. Price
How much did you pay for it? Was it good value for money?
£3, seemed like a fair price for an appropriately sized sausage roll.
7/10
3. Packaging
Was it carefully wrapped? Did it arrive home intact?
As before, the sausage roll was handed over in a brown paper bag, which had a little grease transfer onto it.
7/10
4. Weight
Did it have a satisfying weight? Was it reassuringly dense?
It was perfectly passable, definitely the kind of snack that you could eat on the move or incorporate into a larger meal.
6/10
5. Warmth
Was it warm and ready to eat or cold on arrival?
I waited until I got home to heat it up in the oven. The density of the meat made heating it a little tricky and although not at the ideal temperature, I hadn’t wanted to leave it in the oven any longer for fear of drying out the pastry.
7/10
6. Pastry
Was it buttery and flaky? Did it hold together?
Nice and flaky but not as flavoursome as I like.
6/10
7. Quality of meat or filling
Was the filling substantial or did you mainly chew air?
The filling was interesting; dense and a little chewy but still moist. The meat held together throughout eating, even as the pastry flaked away.
7/10
8. Flavour
Was the sausage roll delicious and well-seasoned?
The maple syrup added sweetness to the sausage roll but it’s not something that I would have again. I tend to like far more savoury snacks and would have liked more seasoning. Overall, i felt that the bacon and the syrup were needless additions.
6/10
9. Satisfaction
Were you left satisfied or wanting more?
I was pleasantly surprised, as I hadn’t planned on having a sausage roll today. After purchasing the baked goods, I rushed home before my son got hungry.
7/10
10. Bonus Points
Did anything warrant bonus points? Eg. a little pot of mustard or friendly service from the staff?
My wife had a cinnamon roll and that was excellent.
6/10
Sausage Roll Rating
67/100
Sausage roll leaderboard
Where does the Pork, maple and bacon sausage roll from Down to Earth Coffee rank on the pastry leaderboard?