Nestled in the south of England near the Isle of Wight is a sleepy little country town named Romsey. Just a 2 hour train ride from London Waterloo, it’s far enough away to be out past the suburbs but close enough for a weekend trip.

Among the great hiking in the area, quant town vibes, and handful of pubs sits a hidden gem of a breakfast place called Josie’s. This place is AMAZING and if you are ever in Romsey (for whatever reason) Josie’s should absolutely be your first stop. At Josie’s, I had their Sausage Broiche Bun

Overall: 8/10

The Good

Honestly, one of the best cheeseless breakfast sandwiches I’ve had. It consisted of a brioche bun with sausage, bacon, a fried egg, black pudding, and tomato chutney. I realize this is yet another breakfast sandwich twist on an English breakfast but there’s a reason it’s stuck around for so long. The meat, as per usual in England, definitely impressed. The egg was well done and the tomato chutney was a great addition that added flavor and moisture to the sandwich. The big surprise, IMHO, was the black pudding which added great texture and a “hearty” feel that tied the sandwich together quiet nicely. Overall, a great sandwich after a long weekend of hiking.

The Bad

Despite the British having this weird cultural lack of cheese on their food, it doesn’t give this sandwich a free pass on being cheeseless. Cheese would have added to the experience and it was missed. The tomato chutney was a bit thick and not spread well, giving a few mouthfuls of overpowering tomato flavor and others where it was completely absent. The biggest weakness, however, was the bread. It wasn’t great quality, could have benefitted from being toasted to give it some more character, and generally just fell flat.