FOOD + DRINK in THE FACTORY WITH
CRAIG POOLE
FACTORY SUPERVISOR, KORKER SAUSAGES, ROLVENDEN
Tell us about your‘ Korker’ of a culinary journey, so far! I joined Korkers 25 years ago, starting in the freezer and working my way through every level of the business. Along the way, I discovered a real passion for product development, helping to create new lines and champion natural ingredients, from real caramelised onion to fresh cranberries.
What makes Korkers special is how collaborative it is. Staff ideas, customer feedback and hands-on craftsmanship all shape what we create. It’ s a team effort from start to finish, and it’ s been a privilege to be part of that journey.
What’ s the production concept at Korkers? Our concept is simple: heritage, quality and consistency. Every sausage is based around our original 1959 Korker recipe- a secret blend of seasoning that’ s remained unchanged for three generations. As a family-run business, we pair traditional craft with modern standards to produce sausages known for their flavour, reliability and Kentish provenance.
For restaurants, it’ s an opportunity to showcase a product with real story and substance: local heritage, high-quality ingredients and a signature taste that elevates any menu.
What is your signature / favourite product? Our signature product will always be the original Korker sausage; the one that started it all and is still our most popular line today. It’ s a recipe that’ s stood the test of time: handcrafted, made with lean cuts of pork and packed with that unmistakable Korker seasoning people instantly recognise.
A close second for me is our pork burger. Around 15 years ago, Ed Hoad encouraged the founder, Jim Hoad, to create it because no one else was doing anything like it. It’ s simple, honest and full of flavour, a real hidden gem in the range and a product we’ re incredibly proud of.
Tell us about the recipe we’ re showcasing. The recipe we’ re showcasing is our Korker Christmas stuffing, a festive favourite that captures everything people love about a Korker sausage. It’ s a recipe we’ ve refined over the years, often featured across our seasonal social media and online kitchen creations, and it’ s become a go-to for customers wanting something traditional yet full of character.
Made with our sausage meat, a blend of natural herbs and a subtle hint of sweetness, it’ s the perfect partner to a roast dinner and a standout on festive buffets.
Best made in the colder months, when those rich, savoury aromas fill the kitchen, it’ s a straightforward, reliable recipe that never fails to impress. And, like all the best Christmas dishes, it’ s meant for sharing, bringing a little Korker heritage to tables across Kent and beyond.
What ingredient could you not live without? For us, it must be English sage. It’ s the backbone of our flavour and the herb that gives a Korker sausage its unmistakable depth and warmth. We’ ve always sourced it from the same long-standing family supplier and finding anyone who can match that quality has proved almost impossible. It’ s one of those ingredients you don’ t realise is irreplaceable until you try to live without it and at Korkers, we simply couldn’ t.
Which local businesses would you love to collaborate with? As a proud Kent business, we’ re always looking to collaborate with local producers who share our passion for quality and provenance. One partnership we’ d love to explore is with Biddenden Vineyards, combining their award-winning ciders with our craft to create a limited-edition Kentish Apple & Cider Sausage. A true celebration of local flavour and two family businesses rooted in the Kent countryside.
Aside from your own sausages, what’ s your go-to Kentish product to buy? Aside from our own sausages, one of my absolute go-to Kentish producers has to be The Potato Shop at Tenterden. Their heritage varieties are unmatched, full of flavour, brilliantly versatile and grown with the same dedication to quality that we value at Korkers. Pair that with Kentish Oils, cold-pressed and beautifully balanced, and you’ ve got two standout local producers who celebrate the best of our county’ s fields and farms. These are the kinds of Kentish staples that inspire us daily and remind us why provenance matters.
What is your guilty pleasure? Probably sneaking a freshly cooked sausage straight out of the oven during product testing, purely for‘ quality control’ of course. After all these years, that first hot bite is still impossible to resist.
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