Best of Sydney: where to find the best snags in the south
Australia Day is around the corner and snags will be on the menu for many of us. Here’s where to find the best ones in Sydney’s south.
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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 on Aussie classics – lamb and rosemary or Vegemite are popular this Australia Day – Sydney’s south is home to some of the most delicious snags in the state.
We asked for our readers help to find the best in town and after counting your nominations and votes, the results are in.
Here are the best snags in the south as voted by you.
5. Ossewa Meats
5/81 Argyle St, Camden
Ossewa Meats only opened last July but has already proved so popular that it has now been named among the best snags in Sydney.
Father and son co-owners Matt and Johan Plotz sell traditional South African sausages at the Argyle St shop.
Johan was always making the sausages at home and then for family and friends, and the pair eventually decided to open their own shop.
The pair use brisket in their beef sausages and also sell biltong and Droewors, a dried sausage.
Son Matt said the bestseller at the shop was the traditional sausage called Boerewors, which they sell about 100kg a week of.
“We sell it in a coil, so basically 1kg coil – it’s one long sausage,” Mr Plotz said.
Many customers nominated Ossewa’s Boerewors as the best snags in Sydney, including Norman.
“Ossewa is a family run business so the service is always so friendly and the food delicious,” he said.
4. Camden Valley Meats
152 Argyle St, Camden
Locals have been buying snags from Camden Valley Meats for 40 years.
Kelvin Fussell took over the shop three years ago and said natural ingredients were the key to their delicious snags.
“We use all natural ingredients, natural casings which makes a difference,” he said.
“And they’re all fresh and locally sourced products.”
Hawaiian pork, chilli cheese and beef, and lamb, rocket and fetta have become bestsellers at Camden Valley Meats and on average the shop will sell about 300kg of snags per week over summer.
Customer Mack’s go-to order is the chilli cheese and beef and he nominated Camden Valley Meats as the best in Sydney.
“Best part of my week is having a chat to friendly staff and deciding what flavour snag for the week,” he said.
Mr Fussell said it was “exciting” to be named among the best snags in the state.
“I feel proud that we’re putting out a good quality product,” he said.
3. Stapletons Family Meats
71 Gymea Bay Drive, Gymea
Established more than 100 years ago, Stapletons Family Meats is a local institution steeped in history.
Mark Stapleton is a fourth generation butcher and runs the Gymea shop, which opened in 1998.
Mr Stapleton said the shop sells at least 500kg of sausages each week over summer, and the Australia Day weekend will be particularly busy.
The most popular snags at the shop are pork, lean beef and vegetables, or chicken.
Carol is one of the many customers who buys pork sausages from Stapletons and she nominated them as the best in the state.
“All the staff (are) very friendly and offer fist class customer service,” she said.
Once you have bought your snags, Mr Stapleton said the best way to cook them was on a medium heat.
“Don’t prick them, don’t spike them – it tends to dry them out,” he said.
Mr Stapleton said being named among the best snags in the state was “very good”.
“We’ve been going 122 years now and it’s great to get those accolades,” he said.
2. Kearns Quality Meats
Kearns Shopping Centre, Epping Forest Drive, Kearns
While Kearns Quality Meats has only been open for a little while – gearing up to 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 is 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.
1. Blue Ribbon Quality Meats
Shop 2/12 O’Sullivan Rd, Leumeah
It’s official: the best snags in the south are 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.