IN 2018, a self-appointed sausage sandwich inspector found the perfect butty right on his doorstep.

Burnham-based Mike Shaw, the self-proclaimed sausage bap expert, travelled Great Britain in search of the perfect sausage butty.

Mike declared The Galley Café, on Burnham’s High Street, the creator of the UK’s best sausage sandwich in the UK for four years in a row.

His interest in the British classic first started when he was holidaying with his wife in North Wales and stopped off for a snack.

Speaking at the time, Mike said: “We went to a café and I was craving a sausage sandwich. When I got my butty I was in heaven; it was the nicest thing I had ever tasted.

“My search for the ultimate sandwich started off as a joke but every time I travelled somewhere I would pop into a café and get one.

“It has been a real adventure and I have eaten some great sarnies along the way.”

Mike has sampled the very best and worst sandwiches across Britain for the past 15 years, eating hundreds of bangers in that time.

Speaking about his visit to the Burnham eatery, Mike said: “I didn’t really go in there to judge it.

“When I tasted it I just knew that it was the ultimate sandwich. It is crazy to think that it was right on my doorstep.

“The sausages they use are exclusive to the café and come from a butchers in Bristol and the freshly-baked bread they are served in is delicious.

“I have mine with top quality Wyke butter and brown sauce, and of course the obligatory black pepper.”

To congratulate the cafe, Mike created a certificate which acknowledged The Galley as having the best sausage sandwich.

Speaking in 2018, Mike added: “I spoke to the owner, Noola, who said she always got positive feedback for the sandwich and I felt I needed to commend her for her efforts.

“I would be surprised if I can find a sarnie that can beat The Galley but I am willing to try any café to see if it can be beaten.

“The Country Cooks cafe, in Corwen, Wales, is a very close second."