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 CONTENTS
Cumberland sausages have a strong regional
association with Cumbria and have been a local speciality
for around 500 years. The fat coiled ropes of sausage meat
are a distinctive sight in many local butchers' windows, with
each producer closely guarding their 'secret' recipe.
It is not known how the Cumberland sausage came to acquire
its special shape and taste. Perhaps the coiled loops provided
the only practical means of combining all the ingredients
in a single skin. Another possibility is that they were 'invented'
by the German miners who came to Cumbria during Elizabeth
1's reign as a reminder of the thick meaty sausages that the
miners were used to eating in Germany.
Whatever the historical provenance of the
Cumberland sausage, it soon became a well established feature
on the household menu in Cumbria.
 Historically,
the sausage was more highly seasoned than it is today. This
is largely attributed to the influx of exotic spices into
Whitehaven during the 18th century when the town prospered
as the third largest port in the country. During this time
Cumbria was introduced to black pepper, ginger and nutmeg,
as well as other foodstuffs such as sugar, molasses and rum.
Many of these ingredients have been incorporated into some
of Cumbria's local specialities, such as Grasmere gingerbread
and Cumberland rum nicky, as well as the spicy Cumberland
sausage.
Up until the 1950s, most farms and many
households kept a pig or two as part of their regular husbandry
and means of self-sufficiency. Towards the back end of the
year, the pig would be killed (or 'butched') and then cured
to give the meat its keeping qualities to over the winter
period. Pig killing time was an important occasion and all
members of the household and even some neighbours would take
part in the event. Once the pig had been killed, it would
then be hung for a day or two before being cut up. All parts
of the pig would be used; the most perishable parts being
eaten first (e.g. the offal) with the best cuts of meat often
salted and cured for future consumption. The blood would be
made into black pudding and the small cuts of meat would be
formed into sausages, faggots, pies, etc. Even the intestines
found a use - as casings for the sausage meat.
'We
ate everything, except squeal. Apart from the head, the snout
could be boiled, ears were put into t'brawn, and the tail
helped to make a good broth.'
Over time a local variety of
pig was bred that was suited to the cooler and wetter climate
of Cumbria. It was known as the Cumberland pig - heavy with
a thick layer of fat, an upturned snout and ears that flopped
forwards. Its meat had a distinctive quality and flavour that
was unique to the breed. Unfortunately, the last representative
of the breed died at Bothel around 1960 and, with its demise,
many of the older generation of farmers believe that real
traditional Cumberland sausage would never be tasted again.
But local producers are determined to prove them wrong.
Cumberland sausage is identified by its
distinctive shape and texture. Most sausages are divided into
links but the Cumberland sausage is one continuous rope-like
coil that is sold by weight or length. The sausage is typically
filled with coarsely chopped pork and black pepper, and sometimes
other ingredients such as herbs and other spices. The meat
content is high - occasionally up to 98% - but more usually
there is at least 85% meat (a mixture of lean and fat) with
the remainder being cereal or rusk (to act as a binding agent),
spices and other flavourings.
The closely guarded recipes were passed
down the generations and, today, many butchers still use recipes
that date back a hundred years or more. Often when a shop
moved premises, the recipe moved with it. When Peter Myers
inherited a 100-year-old recipe from his father (a butcher
in Keswick), he took it with him when he emigrated and now
sells Cumberland sausage in his New York delicatessen, describing
it as 'the best Cumberland sausage west of Allonby'.
The popularity of the Cumberland sausage
has become so widespread in recent years that many large food
producers started to mass-produce it and, in order to meet
demand, sacrificed its original quality and taste. Some outlets
are able to sell so-called Cumberland sausages with a meat
content as low as 45%, containing emulsified rather than coarse-cut
meat and being sold in thin links rather than thick continuous
lengths.
The producers of genuine Cumberland sausage
are increasingly concerned at this devaluation of their product,
and action is being taken to protect the distinctive characteristics
of the Cumberland sausage through European legislation. This
would give the sausage protected status under the PGI (Protection
of Geographical Indication) directive. If successful, this
means that the sausage cannot be called traditional Cumberland
sausage unless it meets certain criteria to do with its meat
content, ingredients, processing and place of origin.
Many European foods now enjoy this protection:
Parma ham (which was the first to gain protected status),
French wines under the Appellation Contrôlée
system and Normandy cheeses. In the UK, Scotch beef, Stilton
cheese and Jersey Royal potatoes (among others) have all gained
protected status, with others such as Melton Mowbray pork
pies and Lakeland Herdwick Lamb in the process of seeking
recognition.
The Cumberland sausage is an obvious candidate
for protection through this directive. It is linked to a distinct
geographical region, has a strong historical legacy, and is
still made today by local producers who have retained the
knowledge and skills to make the product to a high standard.
A number of producers of Cumberland sausage are working together
to secure protection for their product. If you are a producer
who would like to be involved in this process or you would
like to know more about this initiative, please contact John
Anderson at Made in Cumbria.
Tel: 01539 732736 or email john@madeincumbria.co.uk.
 PRIZE-WINNING
CUMBERLAND SAUSAGE MAKERS
Various competitions are
run annually to help promote the unique qualities of the Cumberland
Sausage. The following is a selection of butchers who have
won awards for their Cumberland Sausage (since 2001) in the
Fells and Dales area of Cumbria. However, please note that
many butchers in Cumbria choose not to enter competitions
but make Cumberland sausage to the same high standards as
those below. It is up to you to discover the delights of traditionally
made Cumberland Sausage for yourself!
N Bellas, Main Street, Shap, Penrith,
Cumbria.
Tel: 01931 716624
Winner - 'Cumberland News Countryside Awards', 2002
Bronze - 'British Meat Awards' (NW region), 2002
Carrock Meats, Linewath Farm Shop, Hesket
Newmarket, Wigton, CA7 8JT.
Tel: 017684 84272.
Bronze - 'EMTECH award', 2001
Clayton's Butchers, Ambleside, Cumbria.
Tel: 015394 32143.
Runner-up - 'Great Cumberland Sausage Competition', Westmorland
Show, 1999
Cranstons, Ullswater Road, Penrith, CA11
7EH.
Tel: 01768 868680.
Finalist - 'Cumberland News Countryside Awards', 2002 and
2003
Winner - 'Best Cumberland Sausage', NW Producer of the Year
Award, 2003
Peter Gott, Sillfield Farm, Endmoor,
Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 0HZ.
Tel: 015395 67609.
Gold - 'Great Cumbrian Sausage Competition', Westmorland Show,
2004
Higginson's Butchers, Keswick House,
Main Street, Grange-over-Sands. LA11 6AB.
Tel: 015395 34367.
Gold - 'Smithfield Award', Guild of Q Butchers, 2000
Huddleston's Butchers,
16a Crescent Road, Windermere, Cumbria, LA23 1DT.
Tel: 015394 43080.
Email: info@cumberlandsausage.co.uk.
Website: www.cumberlandsausage.co.uk.
Gold - 'Excellence in Meat Products (NW region)', 2003
Gold - 'British Meat Awards', (NW region), 2003
Runner-up - 'Great Cumbrian Sausage Competition', Westmorland
Show, 2004
Gold - 'Meat Products Evaluation Awards', 2004
W F Hutchinson, Kirkdale House, Coniston,
Cumbria.
Tel: 015394 41271.
Silver - 'British Meat Awards' (NW region), 2003
Gold - 'British Meat Awards' (NW region), 2004
Finalist - 'Great Cumbrian Sausage Competition', Westmorland
Show, 2004
Melville Tyson High Class Butchers and
Grocers, Princes Street, Broughton-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA20
6HQ.
Tel: 01229 716247.
Silver - 'Excellence in Meat Products' (NW region), 2002
Richard Woodall, Waberthwaite, Cumbria,
LA9 5YJ.
Tel: 01229 717237.
Gold - 'Great Taste Awards', 2002
Gold - 'Excellence in Meat Products (NW region), 2002
By appointment to HM Queen Elizabeth II - suppliers of traditional
Cumberland Sausage, Cumberland hams and bacon.
Note: This list has been
compiled through the promoters of the individual Cumberland
sausage competitions and every attempt has been made to include
all prize-winning butchers. However, we cannot be held responsible
for any errors or omissions contained herein.
GETTING AROUND
For details on public transport within Cumbria
Fells and Dales area, please contact Traveline on 0870 608
2608.
Email: info@traveline-cumbria.co.uk.
Website: www.traveline.org.uk.
CREDITS
Produced by Anna Gray for LEADER+
Designed by Andrew Lathwell Design Ltd
Printed by Reeds of Penrith, 2004
Front cover photographs by Anna Gray
Other photographs supplied by Clayton's Butchers (Windermere),
Huddleston's Butchers (Windermere), Agricultural Gazette,
David Elkington-Cole, Freddie Wilson and Anna Gray.
LEADER+ (Cumbria Fells & Dales)
The Old Stables,
Redhills,
Penrith,
Cumbria,
CA11 0DT
Tel: 01768 869533
Email: info@fellsanddales.org.uk
Website: www.fellsanddales.org.uk
For
visually impaired people an enlarged PDF version (text only)
is available here.
This is one of a series of themed
trails being produced by LEADER+ (Cumbria Fells & Dales)
to promote the area and its local products.
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