There’s nothing quite like the smell of sausages sizzling on the grill to get a festival started, and this year, Newmarket Sausage Festival is taking things up a notch with the launch of our brand-new Cookery Theatre.
Supplied by Local Flavours, the Cookery Theatre has a shared mission to champion local food and drink producers and showcase the incredible talent, creativity and produce on our doorstep.
Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy a fantastic programme of live cookery demonstrations, from the art of sausage making and fresh pasta to a refined bistro dish and even an unexpected rum pairing. Whether you’re a passionate foodie, an enthusiastic home cook or simply a sausage lover, there’s something delicious to discover!
10.30am – Introducing the Crown Croissant Puk
We couldn’t think of a better way to kick-start our Cookery Theatre than with our Festival headline sponsor, Musk’s Sausages.
Ed Sheen, CEO of Musk’s Sausages, will demonstrate the traditional art of sausage making, giving visitors an insight into what goes into producing a great sausage and hopefully getting the festival off to a suitably sizzling start!
Once the sausages have been made, Crown Catering will take over and expertly transform them into their delicious signature breakfast dish, the Crown Croissant Puk.
The Puk is a croissant stack featuring a fried egg, American cheese and your choice of sausage or bacon, although today the choice will be sausage, and is already proving a popular breakfast choice at The Tack Room, Crown Catering’s new home at the National Horseracing Museum.
If the demonstration leaves you feeling hungry, why not head over to the Tack Room and try one for yourself?
11.30am – Sausage Cappelletti
Next up, we head from sausage making to fresh pasta as students from the Culinary Arts Academy at West Suffolk College take to the Cookery Theatre.
The Academy is headed up by Stuart Ascott, who has led the Culinary Arts Academy in Bury St Edmunds for the past 12 years. Stuart began his own career as a young chef working around the country, as well as spending time honing his skills in both France and Spain.
The students joining us at the festival are starting their VRQ2 Professional Cookery course this year, having already completed their Level 1 course.
They’ll be demonstrating the art of fresh pasta making, one of the skills they are currently learning, as they create delicious sausage cappelletti, served with confit tomato and basil pesto.
It’s a great opportunity to see the next generation of culinary talent in action and discover how a humble sausage can be transformed into something rather special.
Find out more about the Culinary Arts Academy here
12.30pm – The Hero Dish
If you thought sausages were just about bangers and mash, prepare to think again!
A regular supporter of Local Flavours Cookery Theatre, Lee Cooper, Executive Chef at Hintlesham Hall, will be showing just how sophisticated the humble sausage can be.
Lee leads a produce-led British kitchen at Hintlesham Hall in Suffolk, cooking to a 2 AA Rosette standard, with his sights firmly set on the Michelin Guide. His food is rooted in Suffolk provenance and kitchen-garden seasonality, an approach developed throughout a career that includes time as Head Chef at The Bull Auberge.
Away from the kitchen, Lee also hosts The Cheflife Podcast and writes about food through his website.
For the Sausage Festival, Lee is bringing his fine-dining discipline to one of Britain’s most underrated ingredients: the humble sausage.
During his demonstration, he’ll explore exactly where quality matters, how it affects cooking and how to turn a great sausage into a restaurant-worthy dish. Expect plenty of professional tips, sharp technique and ideas you can take home and recreate in your own kitchen.
And the hero dish itself?
Toulouse sausage with braised farmhouse lentils and buttery braised Savoy cabbage, a refined bistro plate that proves a great sausage can be the star of the show.
And if you fancy experiencing Lee’s cooking for yourself, why not plan a visit to Hintlesham Hall?
Find out more about Hintlesham Hall here
1.30pm – Classic Sausage Casserole with Home-made Garlic Bread
Sometimes, you just can’t beat a classic, although the addition of home-made garlic bread brings a delicious touch of the exotic!
We’re delighted to welcome Jordan Ryan, the new Executive Head Chef at Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa, who will be sharing his expertise and showing us how to create the perfect sausage casserole at home.
With a passion for seasonal cooking and locally sourced produce, Jordan will share his ideas, tips and tricks for creating a truly delicious casserole. Whether you like yours rich and hearty, packed with vegetables or finished with a few secret ingredients of your own, this is a comforting classic that is sure to warm the soul.
If you’d like to discover more of Jordan’s culinary skills, why not book a table at Squires Restaurant, the hotel’s two AA Rosette restaurant?
Find out more about Bedford Lodge Hotel & Spa here
2.30pm – The Perfect Drink to Accompany Sausages
And finally, we’re ending the Cookery Theatre programme with a pairing you may not immediately expect: rum and sausages!
The story behind Eighty-Six Friends Rum is almost as intriguing as the product itself.
When the global pandemic hit in 2020 and much of the world went into lockdown, a group of friends suddenly found themselves with some spare time on their hands. They decided to use it to turn a shared vision into reality and create a premium rum brand.
And so, Eighty-Six Friends was born.
The name is a simple nod to the founders, who were all best friends born in 1986. Their ethos is equally straightforward: keep it simple, keep it premium, keep it natural and, above all, favour the flavour.
Today, their range includes Honey Spiced, Banana, and Coffee & Almond Rums.
At the Cookery Theatre, you’ll be able to hear the full story behind the brand, discover more about their award-winning rums and, most importantly, put the pairing to the test.
Which rum works best with a banger?
There’s only one way to find out!
Find out more about Eighty-Six Friends here
A Festival Packed with Flavour
With a full day of live demonstrations, local chefs, talented culinary students, artisan producers and some rather creative sausage pairings, the new Cookery Theatre promises to be one of the highlights of this year’s Newmarket Sausage Festival.
And, of course, the Cookery Theatre is just one part of the day. Alongside the demonstrations, visitors can enjoy 25+ artisan food and drink traders, street food, cider and beer bars, the Best Sausage Dog Competition, Sausage Pan Races, Whack a Sausage, creative crafts and the new Ride a Hot Dog Simulator.
So come hungry, bring the family and join us for a sizzling celebration of all things sausage!
Newmarket Sausage Festival
Saturday 26 September 2026 | 10am–3pm
Market Square, Newmarket
It’s going to be a day of great food, great entertainment and, naturally, plenty of sausages!
Find out more about Newmarket Sausage Festival