Pigs

We have taken the ‘Local food,’ idea to another level. In spring 2009 the owner Adam Chapman decided he was fed up with butchers supplying products that were not local, no traceability and usually bought cheap from wholesale butchers to then sell on.

After researching farming and the concept of keeping animals to then send into slaughter we made our mind up that we would give the job a go!

We believe that as a restaurant providing food to customers, that we should be offering the highest quality ingredient possible, knowing what breed of animal it is, where it lived, what type of life it lived and how it was slaughtered.
This prompted us to rear our own animals, starting with pigs!
Our first pigs came from Spark Bridge in the Lake District. From John Suttcliffe’s herd of Rare breed Saddlebacks. Who is now a good friend and mentor!

The first batch we bought at 12 weeks old little weaners, we then fattened them up on grass throughout the summer, they had a great life, sunbathing, wallowing in water, rummaging around in the dirt and long sleeps under the trees. When they were old enough (and fat enough) the time came to send the first two to slaughter, this day was of happiness and sadness.
A short drive up the M6 to Aireys abattoir at High Newton seemed like hours, once we arrived at the abattoir, the pigs including ‘Gilbert’ whom we shouldn’t have named!!!! Both pigs walked in to their pen to await the chop....the rest is pork.

We now supply our three restaurants with our own free range pork, on average we send two pigs to slaughter every week. From our pigs, we get gammon, roast ham, pancetta, bacon, spare ribs, belly pork, braised trotters, roast pork shoulder, pork loin steaks, pork chops, pork fillet, terrines from the head, kidneys and liver.

We now have a healthy herd, Boris the boar, the breeding sows- Rosie, Spot, Babble, Grinch, Delia, Nigella and Minka! We rear on average 120 piglets per year from our seven sows.
Each piglet is weaned at about ten weeks old, then free to roam, play, eat, rummage and enjoy life as a pig should.

We send the pigs to slaughter at the best age for succulent pork at ten months old, for bacon pigs we allow another two months to put on a little more meat.
Try our Saddleback Pork in the restaurants; it will be probably the best you have tasted!!!!!

Adam x