My favourite thing about the Christmas period is the festive food - from cheese boards and turkey sandwiches, to fluffy roast potatoes and the excuse to have a mince pie any time the doorbell rings. But let’s face it - the UKs favourite Christmas culinary masterpiece is the ingenious pigs in blankets.
I’ve recently discovered the deliciousness that is battered pigs in blankets at Manchester Christmas Market stall Porky Pig, but closer to the train station overlooking Piccadilly Gardens, you’ll find a totally brand new way to enjoy the December delicacy - though it’s certain to divide opinion.
Five Guys - famed for their indulgent shakes and American burgers - have decided to honour the UK’s most-loved Christmas accompaniment by incorporating it in their newest shake.
The burger chain’s Pigs in Blankets milkshake launched earlier this week (November 16) officially kicking off the countdown to this year’s festive season with an unusual treat.
Obviously, I had to try it purely out of intrigue, despite being entirely grossed out at the thought of pork in a milkshake. Curiosity killed the cat, so the saying goes - but did it?
I headed into the Piccadilly store bright and early on Thursday morning to be one of the first to try the shake. It’s not on any official menu, nor could I see a special board for it, so I can’t imagine many people have ordered it as yet.
I could barely get the words out of my mouth at the till, every survival instinct I have told me not to order it - a bit like Babatunde in his first I’m A Celeb trial when he froze up on the top of that high rise.
“I’m scared to try this,” I admitted to the server behind the counter, who did a fantastic job of convincing me everything would be fine, and if I hated it, there’s always a caramel backup.
I paid £5.45 for my shake, made up of three rashers of bacon, mixed into the signature Five Guys vanilla milkshake base, topped with whipped cream for the finishing touch.
I grabbed a straw and took a deep breath. To look at, the Pigs in Blankets shake looks like any other, so at least you won’t get any funny looks from passersby as you tuck into your savoury milkshake.
I bravely took the first sip and was pleasantly surprised by the careful balance between sweet and salty. Not only that, but the additional blended bacon bits add a much-enjoyed crunchy texture to the dessert - something you might never have thought you needed before.
I did make one rookie mistake, which was not getting spare straws. The bacon chunks can get easily stuck in the tube and they’re a bit flimsy for the thickness of the shake, but it was otherwise an interesting beverage and one not to be knocked before being tried. It definitely won’t be for everyone - but as the person who loves Hello Oriental’s ice cream salt and pepper chips, it got a thumbs up from me. It’s weird, but it grows on you, once you get past the fact there’s meat in your dairy shake.
So that settles it, Pigs in Blankets fans across the nation can now rejoice and raise a milkshake in celebration of the versatility of the nation’s favourite festive side. Available in Five Guys restaurants across the country, festive foodies can indulge in the shake until Monday, December 26.
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