Bunnings opens first UK store and continues vital sausage sizzle tradition

While the Saturday morning Bunnings sausage sizzle is almost considered an Australian tradition, other countries may not understand our love for a thin pork sausage in bread (with onion).

But with news.com.au reporting the UK’s first Bunnings store opening as of last night, British citizens are now able to access to the finest sausage in bread the world has to offer.

Read more: Bunnings hints interest at taking on 15 Masters sites

Last year, Bunnings owner Wesfarmers purchased 265 retail locations in the UK in a $700 million deal with home improvement company Homebase.

At the time, analysts believed it would be “many years” before the deal generates profit, with Bank of America Merrill Lynch analyst David Errington saying the deal had “zero value”.

On Thursday the first of those locations opened in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, with a second location to open in April. Wesfarmers hopes to open four locations by June.

In a statement, Wesfarmers said the store will stock over 30,000 products and will include the famous “fundraising sausage sizzle”.

Managing director of Bunnings UK and Ireland Peter Davis was cooking sausages at the stores open, saying “It’s great to be able to give people a taste of what Bunnings is all about”.

“A second Bunnings Warehouse store in Hatfield Road, St. Albans will open in April and we are on track to have at least four pilots up and running by the summer. We are laying strong foundations on which to build the Bunnings Warehouse business in the UK and Ireland for generations to come,” Davis said.

Wesfarmers is planning to invest £500 million ($831 million) in rolling out the UK stores over the next five years.

As for the sausage sizzle, UK residents have had mixed reactions, with one resident claiming Britain has been enjoying the humble sausage sizzle “for years”.

Never miss a story: sign up to SmartCompany’s free daily newsletter and find our best stories on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.