The Real Food Cafe Represents Scotland as Finalist in the UK’s ‘Great Sausage Roll Off’ Competition
The Real Food Cafe, Scotland’s iconic roadside café and current Field to Frier winners from the 2023 National Fish & Chip Awards, is thrilled to announce its participation in the annual nationwide Great Sausage Roll Off competition, taking place on Wednesday 7th February at The Red Lion pub in Barnes, London.
The Real Food Cafe is the only Scottish restaurant to have earned a place in the final of this nationwide competition. Going up against seventeen other finalists, Kat Dima, the Head Baker at The Real Food Café is the one behind this year’s creation. Her aim is to impress the judges and bring the prestigious title back to Scotland.
The Great Sausage Roll Off event showcases the culinary talents of professional cooks from across the United Kingdom, who compete to elevate one of the UK’s favourite savoury snacks into a gastronomic delight.
Last year's winner was previous BBC Masterchef winner, Mat Follas from Bramble Café in Sherbourne, Dorset with his Sunday roast themed sausage roll.
The Real Food Cafe's entry into the competition is their haggis and pork sausage roll, combining the richness of MacSween’s haggis with succulent pork sausage meat from Letterfindlay Foods in Fort William, encased in a golden, flaky, home-baked pastry.
Their twist on a classic aims to captivate the taste buds of the esteemed panel of judges which this year includes broadcaster, Jeremy Vine, journalist and beer writer, Melissa Cole, Simon Hulstone of the Michelin starred Elephant Restaurant in Torquay and Trevor Gulliver, Founder of St John restaurant in London.
The Real Food Cafe has been making waves in Scotland’s culinary scene for almost 20 years, known not only for its award-winning fish and chips but also for its innovative menu additions. Recently, the cafe stirred excitement among Scotland's food enthusiasts with the introduction of deep-fried Brussels sprouts to their Christmas menu. The festive addition hit the headlines in December, drawing foodies from far and wide, all eager to experience the new take on the humble sprout.
Proceeds from The Great Sausage Roll Off competition will go to the Only A Pavement Away charity, which works tirelessly to connect employers in the hospitality industry with individuals facing or experiencing homelessness, prison leavers and veterans, helping them secure stable and long-term employment opportunities.
Sarah Heward, owner of The Real Food Café said:
“We are extremely proud to represent Scotland in this iconic competition, which in my view represents everything that hospitality is about – warmth, a great atmosphere, fun, culinary talent, camaraderie and supporting a great cause.”
‘’The Roll Off is one of the highlights of our annual culinary calendar and I’m delighted that this year the experience will be shared with three colleagues in the Real Food Café contingent alongside me. The event is best summed up as a bit like The X-Factor meets Masterchef!’’
“Our recipe has been a real labour of love and we’re looking forward to taking our tools, talent and ingredients south to compete against some of the best chefs and cooks in the country this week. We would love to be crowned winner of course, but we’re just happy to be there and it’s a huge accolade to be the only Scottish business in this year’s final. We’ll be bringing our haggis and pork sausage roll to The Real Food Café menu and giving our customers a taste of what we hope will be crowned as the best sausage roll in the land.”
Angus McKean, General Manager of The Red Lion said: “We started Roll Off as a bit of fun over 10 years ago and it’s been a success ever since – with entrants from all over the UK and sausage roll fans travelling for a chance to try the pastry delights.”
“As well as being a chance for chefs to exhibit their savoury creations, the Great Sausage Roll Off has become a charity fundraiser. Only a Pavement Away is a fantastic charity that’s close to our hearts and many others within the hospitality industry.”