Oi, oi – where can I get a saveloy*?
No, it’s not a Cockney football chant but a perfectly sensible question from Donna Blackburn whose London-born partner Mark Smith is missing his saveloy sausages since he moved up North.
Donna, from Linthwaite, was so desperate to find some saveloys that she posted an appeal on a Huddersfield Facebook page.
She said Mark didn’t want any old saveloy – it had to be from a chippy.
“My other half is a Southerner and he’s been banging on about the damned things (saveloys) for over a month. It’s his birthday next week so I am trying to surprise him.”
More than 100 people commented on her post – many of whom hadn’t heard of the spicy delicacy.
So, what is a saveloy?
A type of highly seasoned pork sausage which is normally bright red, is boiled and is often available in fish and chip shops. Originally, it was a pig brain sausage associated with Switzerland.
What are the ingredients?
Food producer Tasty Bake, which has seen saveloy sales rise in recent months, says they contain a “secret blend of seasoning and spices” and pork. Spices include garlic powder, white pepper and nutmeg.
A spokesman for Tasty Bake, based in Birmingham, said sales were running at 1,000 to 1,200 cases a week (with each case containing 36 saveloys).
“Saveloys are popular in the Midlands,” said the spokesman.
“Most of our customers are at fish shops around the Midlands. I’m a Brummie and I occasionally eat them with chips and curry sauce.”
The company supplies them to several Yorkshire-based food wholesalers, including companies in Leeds, Bradford and Sheffield. Saveloys are also popular in the North East where they are eaten with pease pudding and mustard.
But where can Donna get her hands on one?
Well, they have them in Tesco and Sainsbury’s in Huddersfield, where they are 40p each. Heron Foods sell them, with branches in Halifax, Dewsbury and Ravensthorpe.
Do any local chippies have them?
Try Batter Sea Fish Bar in Manchester Road, Linthwaite.
Is Donna happy now?
Yes, she is delighted.
But she admitted: “I hadn’t heard of saveloys until Mark started talking about them. I said to him ‘what the heck is a saveloy?’
“He’s 31 next week and I wanted to surprise him. He’s not on Facebook so he won’t see the appeal.”
Donna was happy to discover Batter Sea Fish Bar sells the tasty snacks but she won’t be trying one herself.
“I’m going to stick to fish and chips,” she said.
- ‘Oi oi saveloy’ is a friendly saying, used as a greeting, mainly in London.
