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Bacon sandwich-loving cyclist recognised by pork trade body

Steve Grice from Shropshire receives Outstanding Services to Bacon award for his reviews of mid-ride sarnies

A bacon sandwich-loving cyclist from Shropshire who posts reviews of his mid-ride snacks to Facebook has been recognised by a trade body for his Outstanding Services to Bacon.

Steve Grice of the Newport Shropshire Cycling Club has posted dozens of reviews of bacon sandwiches from establishments around the Midlands on the social network.

At the club’s annual dinner last Saturday, he was presented with a letter in recognition of his efforts from Love Pork, which also gave him a pair of limited edition sausage boxer shorts and a squeezy pig.

The letter, from the British Pork Industry’s head of marketing – and fellow Shropshire resident – Kirsty Walker, who wrote: “It has been brought to our attention that you regularly go to great lengths to find the perfect bacon sandwich, and to point out deficiencies, so that establishments who fall short of perfection know the error of their ways!”

Thanking him for helping “put Shropshire on the map when it comes to bacon,” she added, “would you like to extend your judging to sausages?”

The club’s chairman Nick Jeggo, quoted on pigworld.co.uk, said:“Over the past two years Steve Grice has built up a network of faithful followers who pedal to test his top-rated bacon sandwiches at cafes across Shropshire and the West Midlands area.

“Now I know that most people love bacon and cyclists are some of its biggest advocates, but Steve really has gone above and beyond. His attention to detail is spot on, sandwiches can be marked down for not being crispy enough, adding butter without asking first, sauce being added first and any form of greenery on the plate earns a whole two point deduction.

“We were delighted to present him with the award from Love Pork, which is both in good humour and even better in taste.”

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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17 comments

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mdavidford | 6 years ago
0 likes

Frankly, all of them should be marked down for containing bacon instead of sausage.

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kil0ran | 6 years ago
0 likes

Soft white bap. tomato sauce, bacon not overcooked and definitely not smoked. Streaky rather than back, as long as the streaky is good quality. Side order of crisped rinds.

Whilst we're talking pork products, nothing better than hog's pudding from St Austell (preferably from Myners, although not sure if they're still trading)

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RobD replied to kil0ran | 6 years ago
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kil0ran wrote:

Whilst we're talking pork products, nothing better than hog's pudding from St Austell (preferably from Myners, although not sure if they're still trading)

As a fan of all things pork based (Dripping from a sunday pork roast on a toasted English muffin is a particular favourite) what's hog's pudding? It sounds like I might have been missing out.

As for a bacon sandwich, four rashers in a criss cross pattern, crisped  a little (no 'dry frying') butter if it's the weekend, choice of condiment, all between medium sliced bread, bacon to bread ratio is one of the key elements to success.

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captain_slog | 6 years ago
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Shrewsburiest Munch. Give that man a YouTube channel.

Soft white bread, plenty of butter, hot crisp bacon with just enough fat to drip down your chin ... and lashings of brown sauce. Good job for my cholesterol levels that I don't eat these as often as I'd like.

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
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BTBS, you're clearly not trying hard enough, or perhaps living in the wrong half of the country. Could take you on a tour of Cheshire with some great bappage!

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dodgy | 6 years ago
1 like

I suppose this chap might post on bike forums threads along the lines of:

I ride loads of miles but the weight isn't dropping off, what am I doing wrong?

 

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BehindTheBikesheds | 6 years ago
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Most bacon butties I've come across both as a punter and my time in the trade have being extremely poor.

Overcooked bacon, insipid pink bacon, tasteless bacon, crappy cheapo bread, a dab/scrape of spread which as mentioned above is an sin if bog std nasty spread, almost as bad when lacking actual bacon and being charged a stupid amount.

I wouldn't even bother these days (outside the house) unless in a hotel having a buffet breakfast.

The best bacon butty I had was a burger van that used to park up outside our hotel BITD to catch the early morning revellers coming back from a night out. 4 Rashers (2 back, 2 streaky), onions if wanted, good thick mayo and decent ketchup or brown sauce and a decent sized breadcake AND buttered both sides! Saying that my staple after a night out was a bacon, egg and sausage butty in an 8" bun, get the feck in!

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StantheVoice | 6 years ago
1 like

Odd how he got this award though, none of his reviews seemed to have more than 10 likes. He's not exactly preaching to the masses is he?

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the infamous grouse | 6 years ago
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maybe one day he'll get to The Horn, clearly the best on this island.

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Grahamd | 6 years ago
2 likes

Nice story, particularly the deduction of points for the wholly out of place green stuff.

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Simon_MacMichael replied to Grahamd | 6 years ago
3 likes

Grahamd wrote:

Nice story, particularly the deduction of points for the wholly out of place green stuff.

A Scotsman writes: What is this green stuff of which you speak?

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grahamTDF replied to Simon_MacMichael | 6 years ago
1 like

Simon_MacMichael wrote:

Grahamd wrote:

Nice story, particularly the deduction of points for the wholly out of place green stuff.

A Scotsman writes: What is this green stuff of which you speak?

It is what my Scottish brother in law refers to as admin

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grahamTDF | 6 years ago
4 likes

Why wouldn't you want butter?

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CygnusX1 replied to grahamTDF | 6 years ago
1 like

grahamTDF wrote:

Why wouldn't you want butter?

Butter, yes, always.

But if its 'spread' (cheap catering margarine) it shouldn't go anywhere near the butty/barm/roll/bap/breadcake/any other regional term for the flour based bacon holder.

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Woldsman replied to grahamTDF | 6 years ago
2 likes

grahamTDF wrote:

Why wouldn't you want butter?

I'm not sure, but if I was Steve and didn't want butter on my food I would say "Bacon sandwich, please.  Oh, and no butter, thank you."  Something like that.  Maybe he does.  Perhaps we'll never find out...

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alansmurphy | 6 years ago
2 likes

Chapeau in Marton (near Macclesfield, Cheshire), awesome baps!

 

The Priest House in Audlem - great 'normal' sized full English for 45p more than a Bacon Bap #nobrainer

 

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Paul_C | 6 years ago
2 likes

"At the club’s annual dinner last Saturday, he was presented with a letter in recognition of his efforts from Love Pork, which also gave him a pair of limited edition sausage boxer shorts and a squeezy pig."

I'm pretty sure he would have appreciated a few packs of good bacon or a proper dry cured side of it...

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