Where to Buy Andouille Sausage in the UK (Not Andouillette)

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If you have ever stood in a UK supermarket sausage aisle with a gumbo recipe in your hand, you already know the problem. Andouille is the smoky, spicy backbone of so many Cajun and Creole dishes, and it is almost never on the shelf.

The good news is that you can buy it here, if you know where to look and what to avoid. This guide covers the UK stockists I could verify, what to check before you order, and the one big trap that catches a lot of cooks out.

🔍 What Real Andouille Actually Is

The andouille in Louisiana cooking is a coarse, heavily smoked pork sausage. It is usually made from chopped pork seasoned with garlic, pepper and spices, and it is smoked until it is deeply savoury and firm.

It is typically sold cooked, so you slice it into a pot and it releases its smoky, peppery flavour into the dish. That is why it appears in gumbo, jambalaya and red beans and rice.

Think of it as a flavour ingredient as much as a meat. A little goes a long way in a big pot.

⚠️ The UK Trap: Andouille Is Not Andouillette

This is the mistake that matters most. In the UK you may spot something labelled andouillette, usually in a French deli or a specialist section.

Andouillette is a French sausage made from pig’s innards and sometimes other offal. It is cooked until the casing crisps and it has a strong, pungent smell when cut. It is a very different thing to Cajun andouille, and it will not give your gumbo the flavour you want.

So please do not buy andouillette as a swap, and do not treat the two names as interchangeable. If the pack says andouillette, put it back.

🛒 Why It Is Hard to Find in UK Supermarkets

Andouille is a regional American speciality, so the big UK chains have little reason to stock it. In my own broader guide to soul food ingredients in the UK I describe it as almost impossible to find on the shelf, and that is still my experience.

I have not found any supermarket that I can confirm stocks it, so I will not name one here. Stock changes constantly, so if you do spot it in store, treat that as a bonus.

That leaves specialist butchers, smokehouses and online sellers, which is where the real options are.

📦 Where to Buy Andouille Sausage in the UK

I checked each of these seller pages on 18 October 2026. Prices, stock and delivery terms change often, so always confirm at checkout before you order.

Franconian Sausage Co.

Franconian sells a Spicy Andouille Cajun Sausage, listed as a “Louisiana Staple”. The page says it is made and smoked on site and pre-cooked, in 100g sausages sold in packs of 5 or 10.

Prices range from £8.50 to £15.50 depending on pack size, which works out at roughly £1.55 to £1.70 per 100g if the smaller price is the 5-pack. There is no minimum order, and delivery is free over £80.

John Davidsons

John Davidsons lists Andouille Cajun Style Sausages in a 500g pack for £7.70, which is about £1.54 per 100g. The page says the product is supplied frozen, and that it was built for the smoker. Free UK delivery applies on orders over £80.

The page does not say whether the sausage is pre-cooked, so check the cooking instructions on the pack. The page showed 46 units left when I looked.

Geordie Banger Co.

The Geordie Banger Company lists an Andouille Sausage for £5.00, with free delivery on orders over £28. The ingredients list includes wheat flour, and the page gives no weight or cooking status, and does not say which areas it delivers to. It could be worth an email before you order.

Hugh Maguire Butchers

Hugh Maguire is an Ireland-based butcher whose shop page lists Smoked Andouille Sausages and describes meat “delivered to Ireland or the UK”. I could not confirm UK shipping costs or minimum order from the page, so treat this as an option to check rather than a sure thing.

Your Local Butcher

Plenty of independent butchers will make or order smoked sausages if you ask. Bring a description, not just a name: coarse pork, heavily smoked, garlic and cayenne, fully cooked.

A good butcher may already make a similar smoked sausage, and many are glad to be asked.

✅ What to Check Before You Buy

Not every sausage sold as andouille is the same, so run through this list before you order.

• Smoked: Real andouille should be smoked. If it is not, the flavour will be flat.
• Fully cooked or raw: Cooked sausage can go straight into the pot. Raw needs full cooking first, so read the pack.
• Spice level: Some are mild and some are properly hot. Check the description or ask.
• Frozen or chilled delivery: Frozen is fine, but make sure you have freezer space.
• Ingredients: Some UK versions use fillers such as wheat flour. If you need gluten-free, read the label.
• Price per 100g: Compare on weight, not pack price.
• Delivery costs: Free delivery thresholds can change the real price a lot.

🥄 No Andouille? Here Is the Quick Fallback

If you cannot get hold of any andouille, you can still make a decent pot of something. A firm, smoked sausage will bring the smoke and the salt.

My preferred swaps are a good smoked chorizo of the firm, cured type (not soft cooking chorizo) or a smoked Polish kielbasa. You will not get an exact match, but you will get a smoky, savoury result.

I use this approach in my red beans and rice, so head there for the full method.

🧊 Storing and Freezing Andouille

Follow the use-by and storage instructions on the pack, because they differ between sellers. Once you open a pack, use it within the time stated.

If you buy in bulk, portion the sausage into the amounts you use most often. Slice or leave whole, then seal the portions in heavy-duty freezer bags with the air pressed out. Defrost in the fridge overnight rather than on the counter.

Portioning also helps because you rarely need a whole pack for one pot. Having two or three sausages ready means you are always one onion and pepper away from dinner.

🍲 What to Cook with It

Once you have a pack, here is where it earns its place.

• Gumbo: Brown the sliced sausage first so it flavours the roux. Try it in my seafood gumbo.
• Jambalaya: The smoke runs through every grain of rice in my jambalaya.
• Red beans and rice: Sliced andouille adds depth to the beans, as in my red beans and rice.

Pair all three with the classic base of onion, celery and pepper. If you want to know why, my guide to the holy trinity in cooking explains it. A good Cajun seasoning blend rounds out the pot, and if grits are on the menu, see my tip for UK grits substitutes.

❓ Andouille FAQs

Is andouille the same as chorizo?

No. Andouille is a coarse, smoked pork sausage with a peppery, garlicky flavour. Firm smoked chorizo has a paprika-led flavour, so it makes a fair stand-in but not an exact match.

Can I use andouillette instead?

No. Andouillette is made from innards and has a strong smell. It will change the dish completely.

Do I need to cook andouille before using it?

It depends on the product. Some sellers state it is fully cooked and others do not, so read the label. Cook any raw sausage thoroughly before eating.