There are few things more quintessentially British than grabbing a hot sausage roll from Greggs for just over a quid. The humble snack is a high street staple — cheap, tasty, and beloved by millions. So when an American actor decided to try one for the first time, the verdict was always going to be intriguing.
Ben Schwartz, an actor and comedian best known for playing Jean-Ralphio in the American comedy TV series Parks and Recreation, sat down with the food YouTuber Olly (Oliver Kendal) for a joint taster session of the iconic pastry. The popular high-street bakery now sells a million sausage rolls every day and costs about £1.30.
After tasting the pastry, however, the American gave a review that might perhaps disappoint one or two British viewers.
“Here we go!” Schwartz says biting into the roll. After tasting it, he adds: “The sausage is way softer that you’d think it’s gonna be. It doesn’t really have a thickness or a bite.”
“It’s like a meaty marshmallow,” the YouTuber responds.
“Exactly,” the actor says.
Indeed, unlike coarse sausages or German bratwursts, the meat inside a sausage roll is usually soft and uniform in texture, designed to stay tender after baking. This gives it a lighter, almost melt-in-the-mouth quality rather than a chunky bite – which clearly surprised Schwartz.
Commenting under the video, one user said: “I studied in the UK for 4 years, never really like the sausage rolls that much, and on my very last day there after graduation I had an early flight and I went to Greggs like at 5am and was like ah what the hell I’ll give this another try. And holy moly was it good, I still think about it sometimes.”
Another commented: “My husband fell in love with those sausages rolls when we were in the UK last year. Every time he saw a Greggs, he just had to go get one.”
A fan from America added: “As an American I feel left out because I’ll probably never get to try a genuine Greggs sausage roll. They look amazing.”
