The 10 Best luxury sausage rolls

The balance of meat and pastry in our favourite party food but has to be just right. These snacks rise to the challenge...

1. Donald Russell

£4.25 for 4, donaldrussell.com

These onion-flecked rolls made from pork shoulder are sold uncooked and frozen. Pop them in the oven for the golden, buttery things you see pictured.

2. M&S Ultimate

£1.99, marksandspencer.com

From Marks & Spencer's deli counter, these rolls have a crisp outer layer of pastry, and a moist underbelly packed tightly with tender and tasty mustardy pork.

3. Peyton and Byrne egg and bacon

£2.50, peytonandbyrne.co.uk

Chunky, rich sausage, with seams of bacon and egg, seasoned to perfection so as not to seem a mere breakfast gimmick.

4. Outsider Tart

£3, outsidertart.com

Sausage rolls are taken seriously here, with three varieties: date, tomato and onion; raspberry chipotle (better than it sounds); and, best of the lot, the Italian.

5. Melrose and Morgan

£1.20, melroseandmorgan.com

Pork belly plus sea salt, sage and an all-butter puff pastry equals a delicious-tasting roll. It's like something granny would have made.

6. The Ginger Pig

£3.50, thegingerpig.co.uk

More a minced wellington or meat loaf than a sausage roll. A huge hunk of solid, fine-ground meat covered in a barely-there coating of pastry. Delicious.

7. Waitrose Essential

£1.29 for six,waitrose.com

They might not be artisanal, but these mini rolls are made from farm-assured British pork (many supermarket ones aren't) and will do the business on any picnic.

8. The Modern Pantry

£3, themodernpantry.co.uk

These are made lovingly by the chefs at Anna Hansen's The Modern Pantry in London's Clerkenwell. No surprise then that they taste so fine.

9. Lily Vanilli

£3, lilyvanilli.com

It's the smoked pork lardons that really grab you here. Followed in short order by the rich, almost sweet slick of cider vinegar. The pastry is flaky and golden.

10. Fortnum and Mason

£2.50, fortnumandmason.com

The sausage-meat is smooth, not granular, and well spiced. The pastry is soft and yielding, not crispy. Very good pastry-to-meat ratio, and no grease.