Best of Sydney: the best snags revealed
Australia Day is around the corner and snags will be on the menu for many of us. So where can you find the best in Sydney?
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With Australia Day around the corner, we’re celebrating the humble snag.
The iconic Aussie sausage sanger is a simple dish but the key to making it really sizzle starts with a great butcher.
Whether you prefer a classic beef or a gourmet twist – lamington, meat pie and Vegemite and cheese flavours are all on the menu this year – we have found the best snags in town thanks to our readers.
After counting your nominations and votes, the results are in: here are the best snags in Sydney as voted by you.
10. Tender Gourmet Butchery, Warringah Mall
Shop 1525/145 Old Pittwater Rd, Brookvale
Tender Gourmet Butchery at Warringah Mall only opened a year ago, but the butchery has been busy from the get-go.
Owner Chris Guest said he was happy with the store’s first year.
“We’ve gotten busier and busier,” he said.
“There’s five Tender Gourmet Butchery shops, but we’re the only one that does cooked food as well.”
Offering the full Tender Gourmet product line which boasts between 40–50 varieties of snags, Mr Guest said their flexible sausage menu sets them apart from other butcheries.
“They are all handmade in shop every week, and we’re always changing up the recipes,” he said.
“We push to make new sausages for competitions and stuff like that.
“We probably make three or four different varieties every year, and if they win they make it onto our list.”
A favourite flavour combination among Tender Gourmet’s customers is the Persian lamb, pine nut and haloumi cheese sausage.
Offering up some sound advice about the best cooking method for snags, Mr Guest said he prefers to cook with the thick sausage range.
“You turn them regularly until they’re golden brown,” he said.
“By leaving it unpricked you allow all the flavour to cook in the sausage, and stay in it.”
Michael, one of many who nominated Tender Gourmet at Warringah as the best in Sydney, said the shop offered “amazing quality”.
“They are always happy to suggest great new flavours and often have tasters being cooked,” he said.
Equal 8. Kearns Quality Meats
Kearns Shopping Centre, Epping Forest Drive, Kearns
While Kearns Quality Meats has only been open for a little while – it will celebrate its third birthday next week – the shop has already gained a stellar reputation and a strong base of loyal customers.
Owner of the family-run shop is Adam Smith, who has been a butcher for 25 years.
Mr Smith said there is no science behind making the perfect sausage, despite the fanfare surrounding his delectable snags.
“I just use good meat. I don’t think there’s any secret to it,” he said.
“I use a good amount of fat. Not too fatty and not too lean.”
Mr Smith also said that while the majority of his customers “can’t go past the good old plain beef sausage”, the shop’s cracked pepper and Worcestershire sauce snag has been immensely popular as well.
“I just make something that I would like to eat, and it seems that everyone else seems to like it too,” he said.
With the summer season well and truly upon us, Mr Smith said that business was booming.
“We don’t slow down at all, it’s a consistent flow of customers,” he said.
Offering up his hot tips for cooking the perfect snag, Mr Smith had stern instructions for home chefs looking to impress with their barbecuing skills.
“Don’t pop them. Leave the fork alone. Put the fork down!” he laughed.
Joshua was one of the many Sydney-siders who nominated Kearns Quality Meats as the best snags in town.
“Adam knows customers by their names, nothing is too hard and (it’s) always great quality,” he said.
Equal 8. Mt Kuring-gai Village Butchery
2/757 Pacific Hwy, Mount Kuring-Gai
Mt Kuring-gai Village Butchery has been a reliable snag store since 1993, when owner Graham Frankel bought the place and began the family venture with his wife Di.
Known for selling the freshest quality meat and lean, gluten-free snags, Mt Kuring-Gai Village Butchery doesn’t cut corners.
The shop’s 2IC, Mark Pearce, said “high quality ingredients and processes” were the key to a successful snag.
“We don’t compromise on them,” he said.
“We go through our processes slowly and soundly to provide quality across the board.”
Mr Pearce also said that the shop’s old-fashioned snags – made with natural skins – can be found “everywhere you go up and down this area on a weekend”, as the butchery provides snags to nearly all the sporting clubs in the area for their Saturday and Sunday barbies.
“We do a number of orders through the sporting clubs for their home games, and they always order our thick snags,” he said.
“We even par boil the sausages for them, which makes it easier.”
Mt Kuring-gai Village Butchery is gearing up for a busy Australia Day long weekend and are likely to sell around 2500 thin and 2500 thick beef sausages.
“Our sausage trade is busy all year round,” Mr Pearce said.
We took the opportunity to ask the much-loved business about their top tips for cooking a great sausage.
“Slowly and without pricking them,” Mr Pearce said.
“Just roll them around, not too hot, and slow and steady.”
Lorraine voted Mt Kuring-gai Village Butchery as the best in Sydney and said the staff were “so friendly and happy”.
“Nothing is ever too much trouble,” she said.
7. Baker Crescent Meats
32 Baker Crescent, Baulkham Hills
Owner Craig Horner has long been known as the ‘Sausage King’ to the many loyal customers who frequent his Baulkham Hills butcher shop.
The dedicated butcher’s sausages have won countless awards over the years, including his Australian plain beef and English pork sausages – both were named the second best in the country at the Australian Meat Industry Council’s Sausage King competition.
Mr Horner said high quality ingredients were an important aspect of all of Baker Crescent Meats’ sausages, which are made with traditional natural skins instead of artificial collagen-based ones.
“The collagen, synthetic sort of skin is almost plastic-like – it’s a cheaper way of making a sausage,” he said.
Their plain beef, lean chicken, pork and spicy The Godfather sausages are the favourites with customers at the moment but Mr Horner said some of their more experimental flavours such as san choy bow and Mexican jalapeño are also popular.
“We sell a great deal of our sausages – I can’t keep up with the supply and demand at the moment,” he said.
“Some Saturday mornings we can go through 100kg of sausages.”
Mr Horner’s tip for cooking sausages is to follow your instinct.
“Everyone’s got their own way of cooking sausages,” he said.
“We like to let people do their own thing.
“Just put them on a nice, gentle heat and don’t pierce them.”
Richard said he nominated Baker Crescent Meats for their “old school customer service.”
“The guys give you the time and care that’s evident in their fantastic product,” he said.
6. Munro’s Quality Meats
Shop 2, Wilberforce Shopping Centre, King Rd, Wilberforce
The passion for providing the Hawkesbury community with top quality produce runs deep at Munro’s Quality Meats.
Craig Munro, who currently manages the Wilberforce butcher shop with his father Barry, said his grandfather first opened the shop in 1985.
“Our traditional country beef sausages are actually my grandfather’s recipe that we’ve been making for the past 30 years,” he said.
He credits the quality of their snags to the fact that their meat is sourced from some of the top livestock producers in NSW.
“We use Cowra lamb and Watervale Beef. The relationship that we have with our farmers helps to produce the best product,” he said.
Mr Munro said the shop’s lamb sausages are a top seller in the lead up to Australia Day.
“We’ve had a lot of interest in our lamb, pumpkin and feta sausages and also our honey, mint and rosemary lamb sausages,” he said.
“They have won lots of awards in the past and have become really popular with customers.”
When it comes to cooking a great sausage, Mr Munro recommends starting with a high heat.
“You will get a nice seal on the skin which will help retain the moisture,” he said.
“Then turn the heat back down so that they don’t burn.”
Customers love the service at Munro Quality Meats including Cassie, who nominated them as the best place to buy sausages in Sydney.
“They are always so friendly and helpful. They recommend different ways to cook their meat to get the best result!” she said.
5. Blue Ribbon Quality Meats
Shop 2/12 O’Sullivan Rd, Leumeah
Delicious snags in the south of Sydney can be found at Blue Ribbon Quality Meats.
Nathan Ayres has owned the Leumeah shop for five years and knows a thing or two about creating the perfect snag.
He said “quality ingredients” and “the time and effort put into them” were key to Blue Ribbon’s delicious hand-mixed sausages.
Summer is the shop’s busiest period, and it will sell about 600kg of snags per week in the warm weather.
Their lamb and rosemary and Vegemite and cheese snags are incredibly popular, especially in the lead up to Australia Day.
Jodie is one of the many Blue Ribbon customers who love the lamb and rosemary and Vegemite and cheese and she nominated them as the best snags in Sydney.
She said at Blue Ribbon, “you’re not just a customer, you’re a friend”.
“They value you and your business. Nothing is too much trouble,” she said.
If you are one of the many flocking to Blue Ribbon to pick up some snags for Australia Day, try Mr Ayres’ advice for cooking them perfectly.
“Nice and slow, turning lots – and never prick a sausage because you’re letting the flavour out,” he said.
4. Springbok Delights
656 Mowbray Rd W, Lane Cove North
The gluten-free gourmet sausages available at Springbok Delights go well beyond the standard flavours.
Everything from butter chicken to beef, pepper and merlot sausages can be found at the Lane Cove butchery.
“I make probably 10 different flavours a week,” manager Adam McConville said.
“It’s something different to what you would see in the average butcher shop.”
Mr McConville said as well as the more traditional flavours, the spiced lamb, chicken, rocket and fetta and duck and orange sausages were among their current top sellers.
Boerewors are also popular at Springbok Delights, which specialises in selling South African meats.
“It’s a traditional lean beef sausage with spices like coriander and nutmeg,” Mr McConville said.
“You can cook it on the barbecue and put it on a nice hamburger.
“Once a month we do a tasting in store and people get to try it.”
The butcher shop’s friendly atmosphere is also a big drawcard for customers.
Robert, who nominated Springbok Delights as the best in Sydney, said:
“Adam always has the best customer service and involves everyone for a laugh and you walk out happy.”
Mr McConville said the most important tip to frying up sausages was to cook them slowly.
“Keep them at a low to moderate temperature. If you go too hot they are going to split and burst,” he said.
3. North Epping Uppercuts Butchery
8/288 Malton Rd, North Epping
North Epping Uppercuts Butchery has quickly built up a loyal following in the four years since owner Ryan Nichols opened the shop with his wife.
Their award-winning sausages are a big drawcard for customers, and they sell around 400kg a week in summer.
Getting creative with new sausage flavours – which currently include Australia Day-themed ones such as lamb-ington and Aussie meat pie – is a challenge that Mr Nichols loves to take on himself.
“We generally have about 18 to 20 flavours each week on display,” he said.
“I love mixing them up and it’s really rewarding to do everything from scratch.
“I use all the good quality cuts to make them nice and moist.”
Mr Nichols said their wild boar sausages were a current bestseller along with their trademark Uppercuts snag – a beef sausage with beetroot, caramelised onion and tomatoes.
“It tastes like you are eating a hamburger,” he said.
Their lamb sausage has also been a hit, taking out second place last year in the Australian Meat Industry Council’s NSW Sausage King State Final.
Colleen, who nominated North Epping Uppercuts Butchery as the best snags in Sydney, said their customer service was always cheerful and welcoming.
“Meats are amazingly fresh, lean, lovingly prepared and they’ll even give recipes and cooking tips,” she said.
2. East Blaxland Butchery
43-65 Old Bathurst Rd, Blaxland
East Blaxland Butchery celebrated its fourth birthday at the end of December and has become known for its gourmet sausages and American-style barbecue cuts.
The shop recently won the 2019 People’s Choice Award for Butchery of the Year, as voted by members of the Australasian Barbecue Alliance.
The butchery’s main man, Scott Evans, attributed the shop’s success to making sausages “with love and care”.
“We just try to make a good, honest sausage,” he said.
“We don’t put any crappy binders in our sausages. There is a lot of crap out there that can be added to sausages that we don’t use.”
Many customers travel long distances just to buy from East Blaxland Butchery, including Craig who nominated them as the best snags in the state.
“Scott and the team go above and beyond,” he said.
“I drive an hour to buy all my meat (from them).”
East Blaxland Butchery offers their award-winning snags alongside a large deli meat range, rubs and sauces, and local and imported cheeses.
But by far the most popular products in store are the traditional thick and thin sausages.
“(They) would be our best and most consistent seller,” Mr Evans said.
“But every eight weeks we also do a special batch of jalapeño and four cheese sausages, which we take orders of for up to 300kg at a time.”
The shop even has a Facebook group that allows customers to be notified when the delectable special is available for purchase.
1. Tender Gourmet Butchery, Hornsby
12 Florence St, Hornsby
If you’re searching for the ultimate Aussie snag to throw on the barbie this Australia Day, you have Buckley’s chance of finding a more true-blue banger than the lamington snag at Tender Gourmet Butchery in Hornsby.
The lamington sausage, complete with lamb, smooth chocolate and crunchy coconut, is one of three Australia Day specialty sausages available this long weekend at the Hornsby store.
The other unique holiday offerings are a beef, Vegemite and cheese snag, and a beef and VB snag.
Impressively, not one but two Tender Gourmet Butchery shops were chosen as the best snags in Sydney.
Loyal customer Paula nominated the Hornsby store as the best and described their sausages as “delicious, juicy and imaginative”.
“I feel very welcome there,” she said.
“Plus you can order online, (with) home delivery!”
Not only has the Hornsby store served locals like Paula for 17 years, they’ve all but conquered the international sausage world as well.
Tender Gourmet Hornsby’s owner, Adam Stratton, brought his much-loved pork, truffle and provolone cheese sausage to the World Butcher’s Challenge in Belfast, taking out the top prize for World’s Best Pork Sausage.
With the barbecuing season well under way, we pressed Tender Gourmet Butchery’s head sausage maker Mike O’Rafferty for his secrets to cooking the perfect sausage.
“A low to medium heat, and just keep a good turn on the sausage,” he said.
“With the old fashioned banger you used to have to prick them, but with our sausages you don’t do that, because the fat content is so low.”