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FOOD AND DRINK

‘Britwurst’ sausages find a following in Austria

Austrians love their sausages and are fiercely proud of their homegrown "wurst". But this hasn't daunted Englishman Richard Holmes in his quest to get locals to love his bangers too.

'Britwurst' sausages find a following in Austria
Photo: Philipp Horak

“I started doing it because I really missed British sausages from home,” the 31-year-old told AFP as he demonstrated his sausage-making technique. “That and fish, a nice bit of cod.”

Based in Vienna, he sells his handmade “Britwurst” creations to a growing number of restaurants and shops and at markets — although not yet to Austria's ubiquitous “wuerstelstand” sausage stands.

But looking the archetypal British butcher with his blue-and-white apron, chunky forearms and sausage-sized fingers, he says it has been a struggle to get established.

The worst thing, he says as he minces great pale chunks of pork —
“shoulder for the taste, 'cos it's got the good fat” — was the “absolute
nightmare” of Austrian bureaucracy.

“Rules are rules at the end of the day but I really struggled with them a lot. At one point I thought, this is too much, I'm going to give up on this,” the Essex native said.

Richard Holmes. Photo: Philipp Horak

Sausage suitcase

You can't just turn up in Austria and start making and selling sausages. The authorities needed documented proof that Holmes knows what he is doing.

So he went back to England for a weekend sausage-making course and returned armed with 50 kilos (110 pounds) of sausages in his suitcase — and the vital piece of paper.

Acquiring also a business licence, he then went to see the “Master Butcher of Vienna”, who didn't know one end of a British sausage from another but who allowed Holmes to operate.

The proviso though from this wurst overlord was that he wouldn't “tread on the toes” of local producers by selling Austria-type sausages like the kaesekrainer (with melted cheese inside) or bratwurst.

Not that this restriction has cramped his style. Alongside the standard British favourites, Holmes has innovated, using anything from pistachios to jalapeno peppers to add a twist to his creations.

But Holmes says his main selling point is not that his sausages are British but they are a quality, all-natural product — unlike the cheaper end of the local market.

“If you visit a wuerstelstand you've got no idea where they come from,” he says. “Your typical frankfurter from the supermarket has all sorts of stuff in it.”

His meat comes from local, free-range pigs that are slaughtered at Hoedl Fleischerei, Vienna's last butcher that kills on site, and which then makes the sausages to Holmes's recipes.

Down at Vienna's Karmeliter market where Holmes is every Saturday, he is doing brisk business.

Only around 10,000 Brits live in Austria, plus roughly 1,000 Irish, a third of them in Vienna, so Holmes can't rely just on expats. And in fact, a majority of his customers are locals.

“He doesn't use any additives, it's not industrially manufactured and it's handmade. And he does these interesting combinations. It's absolutely fantastic,” said local Nilufar, a regular customer.

“British sausages have a totally different taste and structure to German and Austrian ones. And, of course, the English breakfast is famous. He's got a nice little niche here,” agreed Markus.

Not everyone is impressed, though. “British cooking? No thanks!” says a passing pensioner, disgusted.

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ENVIRONMENT

Is it OK to ask for a doggy bag in an Austrian restaurant?

Taking leftovers home from restaurants is a common in many countries. But is it encouraged in Austria or will restaurant staff look at you with disapproval? Share your own experiences in the comments section below.

Is it OK to ask for a doggy bag in an Austrian restaurant?

The “Doggy bag” culture of taking food home from restaurants has long been common in certain countries like the US. But in Europe until recently it was not well established. 

Travellers to Austria and new arrivals have often posed the question about whether it’s deemed acceptable to ask waiting staff in an Austrian restaurant for their leftovers to be packed up.

The simple answer is yes, it’s now widely accepted that diners in Austria can take home what they haven’t eaten. 

“Wrapping up leftovers is now a common practice in most restaurants” say Natürlich Weniger Mist, an eco-friendly initiative of the City of Vienna that encourages new ways to save resources.

However there is not a common German word for doggy bag and internet users do warn that certain restaurants, the more traditional ones, may still frown at the idea.

But as in other countries people in Austria care more and more about not wasting food as part of creating a more sustainable lifestyle that is good for the environment.

When you ask for your leftovers to be packed up, it is seen as you are being thoughtful about not wasting food. It also shows that the restaurant cares about its guests, is service-minded, and thinks about the environment.

Most restaurants offer paper boxes for the leftovers in Austria, and you normally do not have to pay anything for the box.

People have pointed out that the sizes of portions in Austria are often not as big as in the US so there is less need for doggy bags.

Initiatives to reduce food waste

Even though packing leftovers is a common practice, Austria still wastes 790,790 tons of preventable food waste every year (2021). To solve this situation, many initiatives are being taken to reduce food waste, including the encouragement of “doggy bags” from restaurants.

The organization Zero Waste Austria focuses on reducing food waste to a minimum, ideally to zero. As part of their policy, they encourage boxes for leftovers at restaurants as a way of avoiding unnecessary food waste. Another initiative that encourages “doggy bags” is Wiener Tafel food box, a project that started in Vienna in 2014 to reduce food waste in restaurants, hotels, catering companies, and at events with a buffet. The food box is a biodegradable storage container and can be tightly sealed and is now commonly used all over Austria.

Apart from those initiatives linked to packing leftovers at restaurants, many other organizations in Austria are working on reducing food waste, such as Foodsharing Austria, which collects excess food from restaurants and supermarkets, and gives it to those in need. There is also Food Rescuer Austria, Lebensmittelretter Österreich, which works in a similar way to Foodsharing Austria.

Origin of doggy bags

The origin of boxes for restaurant leftovers is said to be from the US. It became a common way of handling leftovers in restaurants at the beginning of the 20th century. In 2002, 91 percent of Americans used so-called “doggy bags.” It was a common solution to the large portions served in American restaurants; these portions are around 1.75 times larger than those in Austria or Germany.

How to not waste food when you eat out

  • If you don’t like a side dish, say that you do not want it instead of leaving it on your plate
  • Ask for a smaller portion or share with someone if you are not so hungry
  • Make sure you know what you order
  • Always ask for your leftovers to be packed

READ ALSO: Is the Wiener Schnitzel really from Vienna?

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