Paddy McGuinness explores the art of sausage roll making as BBC1's Inside the Factory visits Northern Ireland firm

A Northern Ireland bakery business is to star on the popular BBC1 series ‘Inside the Factory’ next week.

In the first Northern Ireland-based episode, TV presenter Paddy McGuinness takes viewers behind the scenes at McColgan’s factory in Strabane, a third-generation family-owned business that has been perfecting its savory treats for generations.

McColgan’s, one of Ireland’s largest independent producers of savory foods, sends out an astonishing 2.5 million sausage rolls every week. And the company was excited to show Paddy and the Inside the Factory team how they create their iconic products.

“Having Paddy and the team with us to film this episode of Inside the Factory was absolutely brilliant for everyone involved,” said Nigel Cairns, commercial director, McColgan’s. “Our people had great fun with Paddy, showing him the process of how our much-loved sausage rolls are made. There is an art to creating the perfect sausage roll and it’s one we have been perfecting for decades! “It’s great to see the Northern Ireland food sector being showcased and we’re proud to be the first local company involved in the series. We can’t wait to watch the episode together as a team!”

McColgan’s started as a tearoom in Strabane back in 1940, and it now supplies its products across Ireland and the UK.

In the Inside the Factory episode, Paddy goes through the entire sausage roll production process, from the unloading of 27 tonnes of pork to the creation of the perfect puff pastry.

Viewers will see how different cuts of pork, combined with a secret blend of spices, are minced, seasoned, and prepared for the pastry. The creation of the flaky, multi-layered puff pastry is also a crucial step, using a French pastry method to create 64 layers for the perfect bite.

The factory's fast-paced sausage roll production line, which cranks out 240 rolls per minute, is also featured, culminating in freshly baked sausage rolls emerging from the oven, golden brown and ready for packing.

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A BBC spokesperson explained: “Paddy McGuinness explores the secrets of the McColgan’s bakery in Strabane, Northern Ireland, to reveal how it makes more than half a million sausage rolls a day.

“After overseeing the unloading of 27 tonnes of pork, which will keep the factory running for a week, Paddy heads to the meat preparation area, where he meets new product development manager Edel Gallagher. Edel tells Paddy that they use different cuts of pork such as loin, fat, shoulder and leg to get the perfect texture and flavour profile.

"With the press of a button, the whole lot is tipped into a mincer which pulls the meat onto sharp metal plates, mincing it into long strands between five and eight millimetres thick. With the pork sorted, Paddy and Edel turn their attention to the seasoning. Between them, they weigh out a secret blend which contains mace, black pepper and white pepper. Then they add flour to help bind the spices and meat together, along with three kilograms of salt, as well as rusk which helps to absorb the moisture in the meat. But then there’s an ingredient that Paddy wasn’t expecting – ice. Edel tells him that adding ice is a very important part of the production process, as it not only helps to keep the meat fresh, but also keeps it at the perfect consistency – vital later on in the process when it’s piped onto the pastry. And that’s exactly what Paddy and Edel turn their attention to next.

“In the pastry preparation area, Paddy learns that they’re going to be making puff pastry. Edel tells him that the layers in puff pastry help to give the best texture for a good bite, which wouldn’t be achieved with short crust. Margarine, salt and even more ice are added. Then, Paddy assists with adding the flour along with water. After a quick mix, the whole lot is tipped out at the beginning of the puff pastry rolling line.

“First, the newly mixed pastry is rolled onto a conveyor belt. But as Paddy sees it for the first time, his eyes are drawn to a long slither of margarine that is being extruded on top of the flat sheet of dough. Edel explains that the margarine is vital to create the flaky layer that puff pastry is known for. The factory uses the French pastry method, which relies on layers of fat between layers of pastry. To achieve those layers, Paddy watches as his dough is folded over multiple times, creating eight layers. It’s then rolled flat, before being folded over multiple times again, giving a finished pastry with 64 layers!

“With the pastry made, Paddy heads over to the sausage roll production line, where he meets technical manager Breda Donaghey. There, he is tasked with joining two-metre-long sections of the puff pastry together, forming one continuous length. Having made surprisingly light work of that, Paddy and Breda walk along the line, and Paddy learns that a pattern is cut into the pastry, which will help it rise evenly in the oven. The pastry is then divided into six ten-centimetre-wide strips and pierced with holes, which will allow steam to escape. Then, it’s the moment Paddy’s been waiting for, and he announces, ‘let the sausage see the roll’ as he watches the sausage meat being pumped directly onto the pastry. Thanks to the ice, the meat is perfectly chilled, so it holds its cylindrical shape. Next, the pastry is folded around the meat and crimped. Then, a guillotine creates 14-centimeter-long sausage rolls at a rate of 240 a minute.

“Paddy watches individual sausage rolls being loaded onto baking trays and slid onto racks, before he and Breda wheel them into a giant oven, where they bake for 18 minutes. Inside the oven, the heat melts the margarine, turning the water into steam and creating the rise for the flaky pastry layers. Then it crisps up and turns a golden brown.

“Paddy and Breda then head to the exit door of the oven, just in time to see trolley after trolley of freshly baked sausage rolls emerge. Paddy is looking forward to eating a sausage roll, but Breda tells him there is a strict no-eating policy in the factory! Instead, Paddy makes do with cutting a sausage roll in half to take a look at the 64 individual layers of pastry surrounding the meat.

“Once the sausage rolls are chilled, they head over to the packing area, where they’re placed into trays by hand, then sealed closed with a film. At dispatch, they’re loaded onto a waiting lorry which whisks them away from the factory.

"And finally, as he steps outside, Paddy takes a big bite of a finished sausage roll.”

The episode, Inside the Factory - Sausage Rolls, will air on BBC One on Tuesday, February 4, at 8pm, giving viewers a unique glimpse into the beloved treat's production.