Harwich Sausage Festival returning in coming weeks

On Saturday, November 4, three of the town’s pubs will play host to the nine featured sausages in the latest festival.

This year, further sausage delights will also be available to sample in three other fringe venues.

The nine participating sausages will be spread across the Alma, New Bell and Stingray, with three sausages at each establishment.

Visitors to the festival are asked to taste all nine in a blind tasting, place them in order of preference on their voting form.

From there, they can enjoy a few quality real ales whilst talking about sausages and waiting for the champion sausage to be announced at around 3pm in the New Bell.

As for the fringe sausages, those will be available in the Globe, the Crown Post (home of the Hanover) and the Samuel Pepys.

Colin Cheesman, joint co-ordinator of the Sausage Festival, said: “The Harwich Sausage Festival is going from strength to strength so we have increased the amount of each participating sausage this year to ensure that everyone has the chance to taste all nine before voting. 

“The winning sausage will go on to the national event so there is a lot at stake for the butchers taking part.”

The event will commence with a ‘pre meat’ in the Stingray at around 11am, which is to be followed by the sausage procession to Harwich Green at around 11.15am. 

Following this is a long-standing staple, as at 11.30am, the famous sausage throwing competition, using out-of-date supermarket sausages, will take place.

The tasting itself, however, will begin at noon.

Richard Oxborow, joint co-ordinator of the Sausage Festival, added: “The names of the nine participating butchers will be announced shortly and we are delighted with the quality of this year’s line up. 

“It will take a truly wonderful sausage to win the title and I’m sure that a lot of quality real ale will be consumed as voters give a lot of thought to their choice. 

“It is going to be another wonderful quirky event in historic Harwich”.