With delighted faces, the participants of Het Lekkerste Brabantse Sausage Roll walked into Eindhoven’s Summa College on Tuesday morning. In their hands boxes full of shiny sausage rolls. “That will be seven sleepless nights,” laughs the wife of Huub Kloks, a 73-year-old home baker who is taking part in the competition for the first time.
The couple from Sint-Oedenrode enters with a chuckle. “I always say that I make the best sausage bread,” grins Huub. “Everyone then responds with: ‘That’s all right. Let’s see it once then’. That’s how it actually started.”
Waited a long time
On Tuesday afternoon, the sausage rolls of all fifty participants were carefully examined, dissected and tasted. The professional jury and public jury tasted three sandwiches per candidate: two heated ones and one cold sandwich. There are titles to be obtained in four categories: professionals, home bakers, VMBO students and MBO students.
The strict inspection is exciting for the Kloks couple. “He was really nervous this morning,” says Huub’s wife. Her husband started preparations early. “I got up at six to knead the dough.” At 73 years old, Huub is the oldest participant. “I waited a long time yes. Maybe too long,” he laughs.
Family struggle
Moments later, two familiar faces enter: Jürgen and Jeroen van Dongen. Jürgen won the election no fewer than five times. The baker from Terheijden is Jeroen van Dongen’s uncle, who participates in Wagenberg on behalf of his father’s bakery, Léon van Dongen. In 2022 Jeroen came second and in 2019 his younger brother Lars won the competition. “I came second twice and third once,” says Jeroen. “So a first prize would also be nice!”
Still, his uncle Jürgen is also eager to win this year. “Jeroen would be a nice second,” he laughs. Every year the battle within the Van Dongen family erupts. “We just opened the boxes. The sausage rolls were made separately, but I think the results are very close again,” says Jürgen.
The winners will be announced at Summa College on Wednesday evening 15 February.