Danish Sausage Company

In recent times fast food has become synonymous with unhealthy, lowquality products, but a new takeaway in Brighton is hoping to change all that.

The Danish Sausage Company, which was launched last month by Anglo-Danish couple Ben and Pernille Rubeck Tseliki, is all about gourmet hotdogs.

“Hotdogs have a bad name in England – we want to show people it can actually be a quality product,” says Ben.

“The idea in England is to get the cheapest hotdog meat, the cheapest bread and sell it at the highest price – that is the complete opposite of the European philosophy.”

Northern Europe is considered by many to be the home of the original hotdog, and Danish hotdogs have a reputation as being some of the finest in the world.

So what makes the Scandinavian version so different? Well, for starters, nothing is fried – the onions are toasted and the sausages are either grilled or steamed.

“The whole Scandinavian ethos is to do everything in the cleanest, healthiest way,” says Ben.

“These are smoked sausages, we’re not dealing with raw meat.

So none of it needs to be fried.”

The sausages are all more than 80% meat content and are gluten, wheat, dairy and nut free.

They’re sourced directly from Denmark, and the sausages even have the royal stamp of approval, as they’re the same as those supplied to the Danish Royal Court.

The hotdogs are served in traditional Scandinavian style, with pickled cucumber, ketchup, mustard and Danish remoulade – a kind of sweet and sour pickled mayonnaise.

Although there is no vegetarian version at the moment, the couple are on the look-out for a product they feel is as high quality as their meat sausages.

“We haven’t found anything yet that comes up to scratch – it goes against the grain to serve something inferior,” says Ben.

Hotdogs are the national fast food in Denmark, where they are usually sold by street vendors from little wagons.

Although inspired by this tradition, the shop’s design reflects a more upmarket Scandinavian style, with its whitewashed walls, gleaming surfaces and minimalist design.

It’s a fresh and original take on what we’ve come to expect from fast food establishments – something Ben and Pernille are hoping to capitalise on.

“We were inspired to open this place because we spotted a gap in the market,” says Pernille.

“You’re can’t get these products anywhere else in Britain – this is the only Danish sausage fast food place in the UK.”

It’s proved popular with the English market.

“It was a slow start to begin with,” says Ben, “but everyone who comes in is shocked at how good they taste, and they keep coming back.”

Despite being such a new enterprise, the couple already have big plans for their business and hope to franchise if the current shop proves successful.

Next month they are also extending their product line, with two more types of sausage and a new breakfast menu of Danish pastries and bacon rolls.

The couple are adamant, however, that they will not be branching into the restaurant trade.

“We want to keep it as grab-on-the-go, fast food,” says Ben.

“It’s about providing the highest quality food at the cheapest possible price.”

Sample the menu

Steamed or grilled hotdog served with ketchup, mustard, remoulade, fresh onions, crispy onions and pickled cucumbers, in Danish bread – £2.90
Grilled hotdog baguette, served in French-style bread – £2.90
Great Dane sausage: Pork and beef sausage served with bread on the side, ketchup, mustard and remoulade – £3.20
Danish meal deal: Steamed or grilled hotdog baguette, drink and crisps – £4

Open Sunday to Thursday 11am-7pm, Friday and Saturday 11am-11pm