In search of London’s best sandwich since sliced bread
St. George’s day offered the perfect excuse, if ever one was needed, to tuck into one of London’s best sausage sandwiches from Biggles in Marylebone. We were in search of a sandwich that captured the spirit of England’s Patron Saint. And by Jove, we think we found it.
Biggles is proud to be London’s first all sausage emporium, having opened its doors to sausage lovers in 1989, well before sausages became a fashionable foodie fad. They hand make all their bangers using only British meat, natural skins and no rusk MSG or GM ingredients. They are naturally gluten free and low in salt, so not only are their sausages delicious but they are also almost a health food. Indeed, they have won the affections of Evening Standard food critic Charles Campion which for those of you who watch the latter stages of Master Chef is no mean feat.
We asked for our Cumberland sausage to be decorated with a St. George’s flag for photographic purposes which didn’t even raise an eyebrow. No sooner had we asked than it was done. And with such style.
The first bite almost overwhelmed us with patriotism. Images of Winston Churchill flashed, our ears rang with the stirring sound of Jerusalem and our stomachs filled with pride. For this is a superior sausage sandwich. The meat was totally without gristle. It burst with moisture and didn’t feel fatty. The spices delivered a peppering of background heat. Under normal circumstances we would have smeared it with English mustard, but unfortunately the St. George’s flag doesn’t offer scope for this in its colour palette!
Our only jingoistic niggle with Biggles was the Frenchness of the bread. As much as we relished the way the crisp, yet soft centred baguette, cocooned the sausage, we couldn’t help but yearn for the comfort and familiarity of a crusty English farmhouse loaf on St. George’s day. And from an aesthetic level it would have made a better flag visual as well!
But seriously, head down to Biggles. They do an astonishing range of sausages and serve their brilliant bangers on the menu at the Union Café on Marylebone Lane.
Biggles, 66 Marylebone Lane, London, W1U 2PF
