What’s Eaten Where: Lincolnshire

Fancy a well-stuffed sausage? Then Lincolnshire is the place to be!

The second-largest of the English ceremonial counties, the fertile soils of Lincolnshire are ideal for growing wheat, barley, sugar beet, and oilseed rape, as well potatoes, cauliflowers, and onions. The most famous crop, however, is the cabbages – to the extent that both the World Cabbage Hurling Championships and Cabbage Boules are regular events!

Also home to the spectacularly Gothic Lincoln Cathedral, one of only four original copies of the Magna Carta in existence, and a surfeit of nature reserves (including the UK’s only dedicated parrot sanctuary!), Lincolnshire is probably now best-known for its foodie fare. In fact, the county produces nearly 20 per cent of all British foodstuffs. Not least, the famous Lincolnshire sausage…

It’s sage that sets this banger apart, along with the actual grinding of the meat. A Lincolnshire link is flavoured with oodles of the old Salvia officinalis (as opposed to the more peppery herbs found in other English sausages), and contains pork that’s much more coarsely ground. So prized is this singular sausage that it actually has its very own celebration: the annual Sausage Festival, held at Lincoln Castle each October, in which more than 30,000 of the tasty treats are enjoyed in a bun, with a side of cooked cabbage, or laden with sauce.

Of course Lincolnshire isn’t just about the links. Pork also features in Haslet (a local meatloaf) and Stuffed Chine (a cut taken from between the shoulder blades, salted for ten months, stuffed with parsley, and served cold). And then there’s Yellowbelly Cheese (matured in a special wax that produces a luscious, buttery texture to the round), and the Lincolnshire Plum Loaf (a bit of a misnomer; it’s packed with currants, raisins and sultanas but no plums!), that’s usually cut into thick slices and served with butter, jam, or chutney.

With such hearty, wholesome fare on offer, it’s no wonder Lincolnshire is regularly voted the UK’s food capital. In this county, you’re getting the very Best of British food – even when you’re trying the wurst!