Go Back
Glazed Cumberland sausage swirls cooked on the BBQ

Proper Cumberland Sausage Swirls on the BBQ

Big coils of seasoned pork sausage grilled gently over medium heat, then brushed with a sticky honey‑mustard glaze – a proper British BBQ centrepiece.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the sausage swirls
  • 2 large Cumberland sausage coils about 400–500 g each
  • 1 –2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil for brushing
  • Freshly ground black pepper
For the honey–mustard glaze (optional but recommended)
  • 2 tbsp runny honey
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 1 tbsp English mustard or Dijon for milder heat
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • Small pinch of salt
To serve
  • Soft white rolls or brioche hot dog buns
  • Fried or caramelised onions
  • English mustard ketchup or brown sauce

Method
 

Prepare the sausages

  1. Remove the sausage coils from the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking so they’re not ice‑cold in the middle.
  2. If they aren’t already secured, use 2–3 metal or soaked wooden skewers to hold each coil in shape (push the skewers through the coil in a cross pattern so they’re easy to flip). This makes them much easier to handle on the grill.
  3. Brush both sides lightly with oil and season with a little black pepper.

Mix the glaze

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, wholegrain mustard, English mustard, cider vinegar and a pinch of salt.
  2. Set aside with a pastry brush ready to use near the end of cooking.

Set up the BBQ

  1. Light your BBQ and set it up for medium, indirect heat – coals banked to one side (or in baskets), leaving a cooler zone with no coals directly underneath where the sausages will sit.
  2. Aim for a grill temperature around 165–190 °C, which is hot enough to brown the sausages without splitting or burning the skins.
  3. Clean and lightly oil the grill grates.

Start the sausages over indirect heat

  1. Place the sausage coils in the indirect zone (no coals directly underneath).
  2. Close the lid and cook for 15–20 minutes, turning every few minutes, until they’re evenly pale golden and starting to firm up.
  3. You’re looking to cook them most of the way through gently so the skins don’t burst and the fat doesn’t flare up.

Finish over direct heat with glaze

  1. When the sausages are nearly cooked, move them over to the direct heat side to get deeper colour and a little char.
  2. Start brushing on the honey–mustard glaze, turning and brushing every minute or so.
  3. Cook for another 5–8 minutes, until the sausages are nicely browned and sticky all over, and cooked right through. Pork sausages should reach an internal temperature of about 72 °C in the centre.

Rest and slice

  1. Transfer the coils to a board and let them rest for 5 minutes – this helps the juices settle.
  2. Remove the skewers, then slice the sausage into thick lengths or cut into wedges of the coil.
Serve
  1. Pile the sliced sausage into buttered rolls with fried or caramelised onions and your favourite condiments (English mustard, ketchup, brown sauce).
  2. Alternatively, serve the coils whole as a centrepiece, with salads, grilled veg and potato salad on the side – a very British BBQ spread