I first spotted Heap’s almost five years ago when I walked past it and I’ve never visited until now. Heap’s Sausages is a sausage cafe tucked away in a Greenwich side street opposite Greenwich Theatre and just a stone’s throw away from the Royal Greenwich Park. Run by Chef Martin Heap, it specialises in posh piggies including high quality bangers and bacon. Breakfasts focused on these are available all day but this is not your average greasy spoon cafe as I quickly found out.
Heap’s sausages is quite tucked away on a small side street but once you stumble upon it, it stands out on the street with a welcoming and friendly feeling to it; the window panes themselves felt quite nostalgic, reminding me of an old Victorian sweet shop and I particularly liked the fairy lights in the front windows.
It’s a small venue; the cafe is very narrow with small wooden booths on the left side. It’s a cosy and intimate experience, and I liked the London Underground style tiling on the walls. Heap’s was already full of locals when we arrived so got the last table right at the back of the restaurant. Initially, I was disappointed but I quickly realised that it was possibly the best table in the whole cafe… All of the sausages are handmade on site – if you sit at the table right at the back, you can watch the butcher at work making the sausages from scratch! We saw pork, apple and wildflower honey being made and you really do appreciate sausages so much more after watching the work that goes into them to make them up.
The sausage shop in the middle of the cafe sells 18 different types of products including 15 different types of sausages, burgers and sausage rolls (which you can take and bake at home). I’ll be impressed if you can walk out without buying anything!
Heap’s Sausages – What We Ordered
First, coffee was necessary so we ordered a Latte (£2.50) and a Flat White (£2.50) while we checked out the options on the menu. My friend also ordered an Orange Juice (£2.50) while I had a glass of tap water. The chalk boards around the cafe point out the specials which was a full Scottish breakfast when I visited (including Lorne sausage).
I was torn between the Avocado and Crispy Bacon Bap (£5.95) or the Classic Sausage Bap (£5.25) but given that Heap’s specialty is sausages I opted for the latter, and asked for Avocado to be added (£1.50). You could also ask for an egg (50p) or grilled tomato (50p) to be added to the bap. The presentation of the food is simple the taste is spectacular – one bite of Heap’s Sausages is an explosion of flavour in your mouth. Two thick sausages bursting with the flavour of fennel cut in half lengthways rest in the middle of a soft white bap (that’s a roll or cob to you Northerners!). I added lashings of tomato ketchup to my bap and got stuck in. They are hands down some of the best sausages I’ve ever tasted.
My friend chose the Breakfast Plate (£8.95) which comes with thick and peppery sausages, crispy and smoked dry cured bacon, a dish of baked beans, a small bowl of creamy mushrooms, a fried egg with a runny yolk and a slice of toast to mop everything up! Again, the presentation was simple but the food and flavours speak for themselves once you take a bite. The quality of the bacon and sausages was staggering and certainly took the dish to the next level; the sausages were Cumberland style with a wonderfully peppery flavour giving the whole dish a kick. It’s a large portion, served on a oval plate so you certainly won’t be left feeling hungry.
After that delicious breakfast I of course wanted to take some sausages home with me and you can buy straight from the counter at the sausage shop which is right in the middle of the restaurant. I bought some of the Cumberland style sausages and some of Mr Heap’s No.1 Sausage (which are award winning) to serve with the raclette I’ll be having this weekend. Now that I’ve left, I actually regret not picking up a sausage roll to take away but I guess it gives me a reason to go back! I also think the sausages and burgers would be fantastic on a summer barbecue so I’ll certainly be back for more.
Heap’s Sausages – 8/10
A brilliant and authentic London cafe, serving quality sausages at very reasonable prices.
Food – 9/10
Service – 7/10
Decor / Ambience – 8/10
The total cost for two people was £22.70 and drinks (no service charge).
Have you visited Heap’s Sausages before? Feeling Inspired? Check out my London Restaurant Hit List!
Heap’s Sausages, Greenwich
8 Nevada St
Greenwich Peninsula
London
SE10 9JL
