Sydney, put your tongs out. The beloved 'brewery and snaggery' that put Dulwich Hill on the map has officially hung up the apron (in a dashing custom 'sausage floral' print) on its last ever dinner service.
After setting up shop in 2017, this home-style neighbourhood restaurant has gained a cult following for its rotating offering of lovingly made craft sausages, painstakingly matched pickles and sides, extensive selection of craft beer pairings (including the house-brewed Queens of Chaos, formerly known as Sausage Queen Brewing), crafty interiors (including the ever-evolving mass of woollen crocheted sausages that hangs from the ceiling and the framed portrait of 'hot young Albo' with interchangeable 'jumpers') and its friendly, passionate proprietors – Chrissy 'the Sausage Queen' Flanagan and Jim Flanagan.
Photograph: The Sausage Factory/Jess Pace
After the announcement of the “sad” reason that the business is calling it a day earlier this December, bookings for the final dinner sittings became hot property. Usually only opening for two sittings of a set menu on Friday and Saturday nights, the Sausage Factory added two more midweek nights of service that booked out as soon as they were announced. Lines stretched up the street in anticipation of the final sittings, and many laughs, tears and ridiculously-well-priced bottomless drinks packages were spilled.
In an Instagram post announcing the closure on December 6, Chrissy said: “This is all incredibly sad, and I know many of you are as fond of our baby as Jim and I are. Jim and I separated some months ago, and we have been unable to work out a model that accommodates the changes in our lives. You have made it incredibly special for us and we want to thank you for five and a half wonderful years, and supporting us through the pandemic.”
Photograph: The Sausage Factory/Jess Pace
The sausage party isn’t over yet, however. The Factory’s popular Boozy Sausage Making Classes are continuing this summer and beyond under a yet-to-be-determined new banner. (You can book in for private and social classes here.) Jim will be launching his own hospitality venture in the near future, and Chrissy is teasing something that she hopes to launch in early 2023 somewhere in the Inner West.
While details are vague, she promises to “build something for shes, theys, gays and nice men who we have decided are nice men”. We’re sold – and we look forward to seeing her transplant her trademark style (a parade of mismatched homemade dresses and jumpsuits, statement earrings, and neurospicy asides) soon. Stay tuned for updates via Chrissy’s Instagram page, @chrissyflanagan__, and her growing TikTok presence over at @sausagequeen.
Pour one out and join us in reminiscing over this little video we made with Chrissy in 2020:
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