Best supermarket sausages: the budget bangers that topped our taste test

Succulent sausages that deliver a satisfying porky punch will have your barbecue guests queuing up for more. But should you fork out for big-brand bangers for your meat-loving family and friends, or are supermarket own-label sausages better?

To find out, we asked a panel of 65 people to blind-taste pork sausages from brands Heck, The Black Farmer and The Jolly Hog, as well as sausages from nine supermarkets, including Lidl, Morrisons and Sainsbury's.

We uncovered three Best Buys, all superior sausages that stood out from the rest, including one that is also a Great Value option, perfect for barbecues on a budget. 

However, we also found some bland offerings that got the collective thumbs down from our tasters.

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Best pork sausages

Lidl's brilliant bangers topped the rankings in our taste test and are excellent value, too. 

Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury's also dished up top-tier sausages, although both are pricier than Lidl's version.

All the pork sausages we tested come in 400g packs (six sausages per pack).

Best Buy and Great Value: Lidl Deluxe Pork Sausages – 77%

£2.49 for 400g (62p per 100g)

These sausages impressed our tasters. Almost everyone loved their juiciness, and the majority thought the meaty flavour was perfect. 

The herb and spice seasoning also hit the spot with many of our tasters, with most of our panel also approving of the texture and salt levels.

As well as being Best Buys, Lidl’s sausages are also Great Value, costing less than rival options – nearly half the price of M&S's sausages.

It’s worth noting, however, that they're higher in saturated fat than some rivals. Two sausages contain 11.5g, which is more than half the recommended daily maximum for women and more than a third for men.  

Available in-store at Lidl.

Best Buy: M&S Collection British Outdoor Bred Pork Sausages – 75%

£4.50 for 400g (£1.13 per 100g)

These well-liked sausages from M&S were praised for their pork flavour,  juiciness and salt levels.

Many of our tasters liked the texture, too, but the seasoning levels split the group. Just over half thought they had a well-balanced taste – but some wanted more seasoning, and some less.

Overall, M&S's sausages are worthy Best Buys, but they are the joint priciest on test along with Waitrose's option.

Available from M&S (in-store only) and Ocado.

Best Buy: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pork Sausages – 75%

£3 for 400g (75p per 100g)

Sainbury's sausages are excellent all-rounders.

The pork flavour was highly rated by our tasters, with the majority of our panel saying the juiciness, saltiness and herb and spice seasoning was perfect. They liked the texture, too.

The sausages did lose a few marks on plate appeal compared with the other Best Buys. Some of our tasters thought they looked a bit pale.

Available from Sainsbury’s.

The Black Farmer Premium Pork Sausages – 72%

£3.50 for 400g (88p per 100g)

Although not as well-liked as our three Best Buy bangers for 2025, most of our tasters enjoyed these appetising-looking sausages from Cornwall-based The Black Farmer. 

Many liked their juiciness, and the majority praised the pork flavour and salt levels. However, some of our tasters would have preferred the seasoning to be a bit punchier.

Available from Amazon, Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.

Asda Exceptional Classic Pork Sausages – 71%

£2.98 for 400g (75p per 100g)

These are pretty good sausages at a pretty good price – the third-cheapest in our taste test after Aldi and Lidl.

A good number of our tasters were impressed with the pork flavour and texture. Many also thought they looked the part, and that the salt levels were just right.

Some, however, thought they lacked herb and spice seasoning, so if you prefer a spicy sausage, you might find Asda's bangers a bit bland.

Available from Asda.

Best cheap supermarket food and drink – find out which other cheap own labels beat the big brands in our independent taste tests

How the rest of the sausages compare

Morrisons' sausages were the best of the rest, with Aldi, Co-op and The Jolly Hog not far behind.

The sausages from Waitrose were disappointing, but Heck's bangers were the least popular by a long way.

• Morrisons the Best Thick Pork Sausages – 70%. These sausages scored well for flavour and aroma, but barely half of our tasters were fans of their somewhat coarse texture. £3.25 for 400g (81p per 100g). Available from Morrisons.
• Aldi Specially Selected Pork Sausages – 69%. Aldi's sausages with their satisfying texture may be worth considering, but they're somewhat bland compared with higher-scoring alternatives. £2.49 for 400g (62p per 100g). Available in-store at Aldi.
• Co-op Irresistible Pork Sausages – 69%. These juicy bangers were reasonable all-rounders, although tasters thought they looked a bit pale. £3.60 for 400g (90p per 100g). Available from Co-op.
• The Jolly Hog Proper Porkers Sausages – 69%. Another good all-rounder, but almost a third of our tasters wanted a stronger meaty flavour. £4 for 400g (£1 per 100g). Available from Amazon, Asda, Co-op, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
• Iceland Luxury The Ultimate Pork Sausages – 65%. Iceland's sausages were fairly juicy, but rather pale and bland compared to the higher-scoring favourites. They come in packs of eight sausages, rather than the standard six. £4 for 400g (£1 per 100g). Available from Iceland.
• Waitrose No.1 Free Range Pork Sausages – 62%. Juicy sausages, but they lost marks for looks and aroma. Less than half of our tasters found the texture and seasoning worked for them. £4.50 for 400g (£1.13 per 100g). Available from Waitrose.
• Heck 97% Pork Sausages – 54%. These pale sausages may be low in saturated fat, but they're also low in our rankings. Some of our tasters thought they lacked pork flavour and would benefit from more seasoning. Note that the casing of these sausages is made from beef collagen. £3.25 for 400g (81p per 100g). Available from Amazon, Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

What's in your sausages?

More pork doesn't necessarily equal a tastier sausage. The pork content varied among the sausages we tested, from 84% to 98%. Waitrose and Heck sausages had the highest pork content (98% and 97% respectively), but were least liked by our tasters overall. Two of our Best Buys – the sausages from Lidl and M&S – were both 90% pork.

Sausages are a good source of protein, and they can also contain several vitamins and minerals, including iron, zinc and B12.

But, they're also high in saturated fat – two Lidl sausages contain 11.5g. NHS advice says men shouldn't have more than 30g of saturated fat and women more than 20g per day. 

They also contain 1.1g of salt, about a fifth of the recommended daily amount for adults.

Sausages need a casing, and these days most brands use a plant-based alginate that's derived from seaweed. Others, however, use a pork casing, and Heck stands out as it uses beef collagen.

All the sausages on test were gluten-free. Breadcrumbs have been used in the past to help with texture, but alternatives such as maize starch, chickpea flour, potato starch and rice flour are typically used instead now so they can be gluten-free.

Find out which veggie burgers topped our taste test and read about other plant-based meat alternatives such as tofu, tempeh and seitan

How we tested pork sausages

All the sausages were blind-tasted and rated by a panel of 65 people in April 2025 at our specialist test lab. 

We recruited tasters who buy and eat pork sausages, and who broadly represent the demographic profile of adults in the UK (age range, gender split and more). 

The sausages were cooked according to the pack instructions. The taste test was blind, so our testers didn’t know which brand they were trying. They tasted the sausages in a fully rotated order to avoid any bias. Each person had a private tasting booth so they couldn’t discuss what they were tasting or be influenced by others.

The tasters rated the flavour, aroma, appearance and texture of each sausage, and told us what they liked and disliked. 

The overall score was based on:

• 50% flavour
• 20% appearance
• 15% aroma
• 15% texture

These weightings are based on what people ranked as the most important attributes when tasting pork sausages. All our results are checked and analysed by our in-house statistical team.

Do sausages cause cancer?

Processed meat is linked to an increased risk of bowel cancer, but standard sausages don't count as processed meat. 

Sausages do, however, count as red meat, which is considered a 'probable' cause of cancer.Cancer Research UK advises people not to eat more than three portions of red meat a week.

Pork sausages: animal welfare labels compared

Most of the sausages we tested display animal welfare logos, listed below. These are food labels that indicate products meet certain UK standards for animal welfare.

The Red Tractor scheme, however, isn't especially rigorous, and often simply follows the UK legal minimum. For example, it allows sows to be kept in small farrowing crates when pregnant and giving birth.

The RSPCA Assured scheme doesn't allow farrowing crates. It encourages outdoor grazing, but this is not mandatory. In 2024, a BBC news story highlighted concerns raised by campaign organisations about the scheme's effectiveness. The RSPCA responded by launching an investigation and review of the scheme.

M&S and Waitrose sausages both state that the pigs are free-range. This covers a broad spectrum of conditions, but isn't always a guarantee of higher animal welfare. Both supermarkets are listed as Tier 2 in Compassion in World Farming business rankings for farm animal welfare, which is higher than all the other supermarkets.

Can you cook sausages in an air fryer?

While most people choose to grill sausages, especially if you're having a barbecue, most of the brands and supermarket own-labels also give instructions on how to cook their sausages in an air fryer.

Air fryers circulate hot air, just like an oven, but in a smaller space. They do a great job of crisping up a range of foods, including sausages, potatoes and other root vegetables, using just a little oil. You can also cook sausages in the oven.

Check the instructions on the packaging, but most sausages state that they take around 15 to 20 minutes to cook. If they're fully cooked, there will be no pink meat and juices will run clear. 

Check out all our air fryer reviews and advice, as well as the best air fryer deals for 2025 

Prices and availability checked: 8 May 2025