Celebrating 25 years in the gourmet sausage game

CRANSWICK is celebrating 25 years of gourmet sausage production in Hull, with the firm playing a role in rescuing the British favourite’s reputation.

Back in 1995 the banger had the unfortunate nickname due to regular fat-induced pan explosions, due to low quality fillings.

It prompted a joint venture with London chef Martin Heap, the man behind a six-strong London chain of specialist shops, Simply Sausages.

Again with Sainsbury’s, Cranswick Gourmet Sausage Co, took the quality level to the British public.

The range drew on international cuisine with exciting flavours alongside British classics.

Described as “unlike anything that was on the supermarket shelves at the time,” Sainsbury’s Sausages of Distinction “launched with great success” on the meat counters, expanding into a pre-packed range. It has since been rebranded as Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference, and Cranswick’s commercial director, Jim Brisby, said the products are still as great as ever.

“We are a nation of sausage lovers and the growth in this sector has been phenomenal over the past 25 years,” he said. “In the UK, approximately seven million sausages are eaten at home in the UK every day and over half of these are classed as gourmet or super premium sausages. We still use the same methods of sausage production that Martin taught us 25 years ago.”

The Cranswick business has enjoyed exceptional growth over that time and now produces more than 600 tonnes of sausages every week rising to 800 tonnes a week at Christmas. The site, on Sutton Fields, employs more than 700 people, peaking at 1,000 to meet demand, making it one Hull’s largest employers.

It is a major contributor to the group’s £1.7bn turnover, with a sales increase of virtually 25 per cent through lockdown.