Inspired by Young’s annual Scotch egg competition, 19 chefs will be cooking their best sausage roll on 30 January at Fuller’s pub the Red Lion in Barnes, south-west London.
The Great Sausage Roll Off will be compered by beer writer Melissa Cole with three judges delivering the verdict: food critic and columnist Charles Campion; restaurateur and Great British Menu contestant Johnnie Mountain; and journalist Kate Spicer, star of dieting TV show Super Skinny Me.
Each chef will cook 10 sausage rolls on the night with one for judges and the rest to be handed to the audience.
Eleven pubs are taking part, including Shaws Booksellers in the City of London, ETM Group’s the Gun at Docklands, east London, and Paul Merrett’s Victoria in East Sheen, as well as the Ship in Wandsworth, both in south-west London which hosts the Scotch egg competition. MasterChef 2010 winner Dhruv Baker and independent trader the Rib Man are also taking part.
“Twitter is alive with it and we are expecting to need a bigger pub on the night,” said Angus McKean, general manager of the 200-capacity Red Lion.
“We just want to raise the profile of food in pubs and give chefs recognition.”