The Bristol Sausage and Cider Festival

Posted on: 2017-08-04

Our rating:

The Ronseal of all festivals - does exactly what it says on the tin. There’s no fancy gimmicks, no needless decoration and not a flower head garland in sight. It’s just delicious food, tasty drinks and a lot of people having a good night.


The Spanish tempt us to the golden shores of Primavera, the Americans entice us with the hippy cool of Coachella, but never has a celebration been more aptly named nor greater received than the Bristol Sausage and Cider Festival.

**GET TICKETS FOR SATURDAY 5TH AUGUST HERE**

The Bristol Sausage and Cider Festival 2017

Held in the vast hall of the Passenger Shed, adjacent to Temple Meads, this yearly shin dig is definitely worth a visit. If you like Sausages and you like Cider - and lets be honest, who doesn't? Then this vast array of the two can be your personal heaven.

 

As you enter the hall, the smokey smell of sizzling meats hits your schnoz and the chatter of the consumers makes for a lively atmosphere. We commented that it wasn’t unlike the lower deck in the titanic, spit and sawdust, but everyone was there for the same reason - to get stuck into some serious meat and drinking action. There were live bands throughout the night, playing a medley of ska and reggae and despite a slow start to the dancefloor action - it quickly fills with tipsy revellers. As the tables are set out in long lines with chairs dotted about, it’s easy to start chatting and comparing notes with the fellow festival goers.

The Bristol Sausage and Cider Festival 2017

 

The bar works on a convenient system of tokens, which you can pay for by card. 5 Tokens is £10 and 11 is £20, with most halves costing one token and most pints costing 2. It's a simple way to speed up serving times and we never waited more than a couple of minutes for a drink. With the strongest ciders at 14% and the weakest at 4% there really is something for everyone. We tried an elderflower cider at the weaker end of the scale, which was refreshing, light and delicious all the way to the famed 14%er which was woody, rich and definitely rightly served in a half pint measure. If you’re interested in ticking them all off, our favourite was ‘badgers arse’ - not only for the comical name, but also for it’s drinkable tangy constitution.

 

Food wise, the vendors only took cash, so it is worth noting that you'll need to take some with you - but if you forget there's a free cashpoint in Temple Meads. The sausage offering didn't disappoint either. We went for a monster of a wild hog chilli sausage with jalapeno relish which was gamey, with just the right level of spice. We also got our chops around a cheese stuffed pork sausage which was smaller, so you get double the portion. All the sausages are served in basic white rolls, which means you can really appreciate the wares without too much distraction.  Far from being basic, each food stall was intent on doing a great twist on the traditional banger. Prices ranged from £3-£5 and the portions were very generous.

 

This festival is the Ronseal of all festivals - does exactly what it says on the tin. There’s no fancy gimmicks, no needless decoration and not a flower head garland in sight. It’s just delicious food, tasty drinks and a lot of people having a good night. Long may it continue.

 

Reviewed by Talicza Stevens

The Bristol Sausage and Cider Festival 2017



Article by:

Brendan Murphy

Bristol born and bred despite the name, Brendan has been working in the digital media sector for the last 10 years and advertising for the last 20 years. A wealth of knowledge about the city and more importantly at how to help businesses get as much online exposure as possible. Call Brendan on 07876 735153 or email Brendan@365bristol.com.