Consumer experts at Which? have tried out a variety of sausages to find the best – just in time for the Bank Holiday
Budget supermarket Lidl has trounced premium rivals in a major blind taste test of pork sausages – just in time for the Bank Holiday barbecue season. A 65-strong panel of ordinary consumers, independently recruited and blindfolded to branding, tucked into sausages from major retailers and household brands in a test designed to uncover the best bangers Britain has to offer.
Three emerged as Best Buys, with Lidl’s Deluxe Pork Sausages not only topping the charts with a score of 77%, but also clinching the Great Value accolade thanks to their modest £2.49 price tag for 400g – just 62p per 100g. Described as “good looking and succulent”, Lidl’s sausages won praise across the board.
An impressive 80% of tasters rated the meaty flavour as perfect, with two-thirds saying the herb and spice balance hit the mark. Around 75% liked the salt levels, and a similar number were pleased with the texture – judged to be neither too coarse nor too fine.
However, they come with a health warning. Two sausages contain 11.5g of saturated fat, more than half the recommended daily limit for women.
M&S and Sainsbury’s serve up premium picks
M&S’s Collection British Outdoor Bred Pork Sausages and Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference British Pork Sausages both scored 75%, earning Best Buy status. M&S’s offering, at £4.50 for 400g (£1.13 per 100g), was praised by three-quarters of tasters for flavour, juiciness and salt levels.
Two-thirds liked the texture, although opinion was split on the seasoning. These were also the joint priciest on test.
Sainsbury’s sausages, £3 for 400g (75p per 100g), were dubbed excellent all-rounders. More than 70% gave top marks for pork flavour, juiciness, and seasoning. But a third found the appearance too pale.
The also-rans
Despite a polished reputation, The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages (72%) fell just short of Best Buy status. At £3.50 for 400g (88p per 100g), they impressed with juiciness, but a third of testers found the seasoning underwhelming.
Asda’s Exceptional Classic Pork Sausages followed closely with 71% – third cheapest at £2.98 for 400g (75p per 100g). Though flavour and texture were applauded, almost half of testers found the seasoning lacking.
How the rest of the field stacked up
- Morrisons The Best Thick Pork Sausages – 70%: Tasty with good aroma, but texture divided opinion. £3.25 (81p/100g).
- Aldi Specially Selected – 69%: Satisfying texture but a little bland. £2.49 (62p/100g).
- Co-op Irresistible – 69%: Juicy but pale. £3.60 (90p/100g).
- The Jolly Hog Proper Porker – 69%: Decent but unremarkable. £4 (100p/100g).
- Iceland Luxury The Ultimate – 65%: Juicy yet bland and pale. £4 (100p/100g).
- Waitrose No.1 Free Range – 62%: Juicy but let down by looks and seasoning. £4.50 (113p/100g).
- Heck 97% Pork Sausages – 54%: The biggest disappointment. Over 60% found the pork flavour too weak and more than half wanted more seasoning. Notably, Heck sausages use beef collagen casings. £3.25 (81p/100g).
Natalie Hitchins, Which? head of Home Products and Services, said: “Sausages are a summer barbecue staple for many, so it’s important to pick the right ones that will have your guests queuing up for more. Lidl came out on top for our taste tests, impressing with their juicy texture and meaty flavour. While pricier than Lidl’s, M&S and Sainsbury’s also dished up impressively succulent sausages.”
How the sausages were tested
The sausages were blind-tested in April 2025 under controlled conditions at a specialist lab. Participants, chosen to reflect a representative UK demographic, tasted sausages individually in private booths to prevent influence from others, Which? said.
Each sausage was scored based on:
- 50% flavour
- 20% appearance
- 15% aroma
- 15% texture