Wandering through Sainsbury’s recently I was pleasantly surprised to see a packet of Mr Brain’s Pork Faggots in the frozen section. The memories these bought back, were second to none as my Granddad, who sadly died a few years ago, was a huge fan of Faggots, and I remember he used to choose them every week, when I’d take him on his weekly shopping trip. So convincing myself that there’d taste the same as I remembered from my childhood, I popped them into the trolley.
*Manufacturer*
Kerry Foods Ltd, based in Bridge Road, Bristol, produces Mr Brain’s Pork Faggots.
Herbert Hill Brain founded Mr Brain’s family business in 1898, and in 1925 a direct descendant of his introduced, Mr Brain’s Pork Faggots.
*What are Faggots?*
Faggots are meatballs, and in Mr Brain’s case are mainly made up off Pork (11% consisting of Pork Liver and Pork) and onion. They are also produced with a rich West Country Sauce, a thick gravy, which although delicious, I often find there is not enough with the faggots.
*Packaging*
Packaged in a very unmistakable orange box, with the Mr Brain’s logo in a bright red font, the faggots can be found in the frozen section of most local supermarkets. They generally are sold in packs of 2,4 or 6, but recently my local Sainsbury’s has advised me that they are no longer stocking the packs of 2 faggots.
On the front of the box, there is a very tempting picture of two faggots in gravy, some mashed potato and some peas. There is also the mention of the rich West Country source and the quantity of the faggots.
The reverse of the packaging displays the ingredients, nutritional information, storage instructions and cooking guidelines.
The Faggots themselves are encased in a tin foil case, with a cardboard lid.
*Nutrition Information*
The nutrition information is provided per 100 grams as sold, and as cooked, which equates to roughly 1 and 1/2 Faggots with sauce. The figures provided below are as per the cooked product.
Calories: 242 kcals Carbohydrates: 22.5g (so not really a plus point for those on the Atkins diet) Fat; 12.5g (of which saturates 5.9g) Fibre: 1.1g Salt: 0.9g
*Storage Instructions*
Mr Brain’s Pork Faggots are sold frozen, and can be stored in a 2 star freezer for up to a month from the day of purchase. If allowed to thaw, they can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Please remember not to re-freeze food that has already thawed.
*Cooking Guidelines*
It is recommended by Mr Brain’s that Faggot’s are best cooked from frozen, and they can be done so in a conventional over or microwave. The advice of the packaging reminds consumers to be very careful when handling the container, if the product has been cooked in an over, as it will be very hot.
Microwave – for different powered microwave, you will need to adjust the times, but cooking times are provided for a 650 watt (12-13 minutes) and an 850 watt (9-10 minutes) microwave. It is advised that contains are transferred from the foil container to a similar sized bowl and covered with a loose lid.
Conventional oven – for best results it is recommended the foil container is loosened slightly and the Faggot’s are cooked at 230*C/450*F/Gas Mark 8 for 30-40 Minutes.
*Taste test*
Now this is where the fun part beings. I generally cook my Faggot’s in the microwave purely because this is how my Granddad always used too, but I have occasionally cooked them in the over. Both options leave no difference in the taste.
The Faggot’s are quite moist, probably because of the high water content and the sauce, but the smell of the pork is very enjoyable and certainly gets your taste buds tingling. You can clearly taste the onion in the Faggots and the sauce, but this merely adds to the flavour of the pork.
The sauce is just of the right consistency (nice and thick) and has a lovely onion taste to it, but I sometimes find that there isn’t enough sauce with the faggots, especially if you’re sharing the 4 pack between 2 people. Occasionally I do have to make additional gravy to go with them.
*Price*
I generally do my shopping in Sainsbury’s and this is where I purchased my 4 packs from, at £1.10. They also have the 6 packs available that can be purchased for £1.69.
Prices will vary according to supermarkets.
*Conclusion*
Personally I think Mr Brain’s Pork Faggot’s are delicious and a welcome treat to my dinner table. As well as bringing back fond memories they are an affordable product, which when accompanied with mashed potato (and vegetables) make for a very satisfying meal.
Although they are slightly high in Carbohydrates and Fat, they are very enjoyable, and are very easy to cook and serve.
I think the only thing that might put people off is the name of the product, as some people would steer clear from such naming. I just enjoy them for the taste and the hole in my tummy it happily fills :-)
Thank you for reading, kels x
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I've never tried these myself though am slightly tempted now as my gran likes them (must be a pensioner thing!). Next time my flatmate buys them I'll ask if I can try a bit :) M x
purplelynne 15.07.2004 17:35
I don't like these, I only eat chicken now as well, remember them from my childhood though. Lynne x
StephyBabes 05.07.2004 22:27
I've always thought these looked and sounded disgusting, I still think that lol, greta review though hunny xx
Advantages: Taste great, fairly cheap and helped the allies win WW2 Disadvantages: Fat content and name may be offputting, but rest assured they contain no brain matter!
Advantages: Taste, great for an easy to prepare dinner Disadvantages: Can be pricey, faggots sometimes break up when you're putting them on the plate, high fat
May 30th, 2004
very helpful by (92%):
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