Onions first, or sausage first? Backlash to new Bunnings Sausage Sizzle safety rules.
New guidelines on how to prepare a safe sausage sizzle sandwich have been met with amusement.
The guidelines, which have been put in place by Bunnings Warehouse in Australia and NZ, govern how sausage sizzles should be conducted from now on.
They mean that fried onion can no longer be placed on top of the sausage, but now has to be on the bottom.
The shift — which has already been rolled out in Australia — tackles the apparent dangers posed by a few bits of fried onion falling onto the ground.
"Safety is always our number one priority and we recently introduced a suggestion that onion be placed underneath sausages to help prevent the onion from falling out and creating a slipping hazard," Bunnings Australia chief operating officer Debbie Poole said.
"I think there is merit in chopping the onions a little smaller so they don't fall out so easy, and perhaps putting them under the sausage or on top is a personal preference – but this seems all a little bit crazy to me.
The guidelines mean that fried onion can no longer be placed on top of the sausage, but now has to be on the bottom. Photo / Simon McGill
"On top or underneath, who cares – but onions are a must I think for a sausage on a bit of bread."
Renowned chef Peter Blakeway was also entertained by the idea.
"I find the sausages having to be on top of the onions quite bizarre. Does it make a taste difference? Absolutely not." he said.
"Somebody has decided it is safer, but it makes not a blind bit of difference whether the onions go on the top or underneath. It is just really weird that somebody spent their day thinking about that. Talk about micro-managing."
However, Blakeway said he loves sausage sizzles and would continue to support them despite the silly guidelines.
"I love the idea of people in our community coming together to raise some money or awareness and use food as the medium to do that," he said.
"So in some ways I don't care if the sausage is great or not, and I don't even care if the onions are underneath. A good cause is a good cause and I will buy the sausage anyway."
But when it comes to a good sausage and bread combo, Blakeway said the sausage had to be pork, and his spicy Barbeque sauce made all the difference.
Re Bunnings snarlers, my Mum has messaged me to note “if you put the onions underneath the sausage the flimsy bread goes soggy and the whole thing collapses. Ergo, risk of onion slippage exponentially increases."
The Warehouse NZ tweeted, "We're satisfied with our sausage safety standards. To be frank, our customers know onions are for eating, not dropping.
"What do our customers expect to see at ground level on the daily? Our everyday low prices. They're real bangers. #sausagegate2018 #snarlerfirst"
MP for Hutt South, Christopher Bishop, also posted some sound advice from his mother.
"Re Bunnings snarlers, my Mum has messaged me to note 'if you put the onions underneath the sausage the flimsy bread goes soggy and the whole thing collapses. Ergo, risk of onion slippage exponentially increases'. WELL SAID MUM #bunnings #snaggate"
Bunnings doesn't believe the change will have much of an impact though.
"Regardless of how you like your [sausage sizzle], we are confident this new serving suggestion will not impact the delicious taste or great feeling you get when supporting your local community group," Poole said.
