Words by Molly
3 mins
Pork certainly makes its mark on the Christmas dinner table. We’re not sure the big day would be the same without the careful lattice of streaked smoky bacon on top of the turkey, free-range pork stuffing and of course, Pigs in Blankets. Charcuterie holds its own in the festive period too. Delicious teetering on top of a cracker with a good spreading of brie for an easy Christmas canapé, a wonderful treat to find hiding at the bottom of a Christmas stocking and a delicious present for the foodies among us.
We’re already sold on our charcuterie making a great Christmas menu addition, but for those of us who know a little less about this artisan product, here’s why…
Meet our Charcuterie expert, Andy
It wasn’t too long ago that we took a trip down to see Andy from Somerset Charcuterie. Andy is one of our longest-standing suppliers and it’s him (plus his small team) that we have to thank for all our top-quality, handmade charcuterie.
As the car trundled into his Somerset location Andy strolled out. Wooden trug in hand, we were off to forage herbs. From sourcing his pork, to production, to ingredients, everything done at Somerset Charcuterie is small-scale, preserving the artisan flavour and feel of his product. It also keeps things sustainable, Andy tells us as he crops his rosemary and sage.
Andy, Somerset Charcuterie
Get to know our charcuterie pigs
The pigs used to make Andy’s charcuterie are free-range, rare-breed and local. 90% of his pork comes from Somerset, with the other 10% coming from just over the border in Dorset. His beef is exclusively sourced from Somerset while his free-range duck is supplied by two farmers, one in Somerset and one near Exeter. All the farms are small-holdings or small-scale.
Herbs cropped and ready to be added to charcuterie, the next job on the agenda is to visit a supplier. After a 5-minute drive through winding Somerset roads we arrived at Dave’s family home. In Dave’s small-holding there are two pigs, an apple tree and a slide (not for the pigs, one can assume). This couldn’t be further from an intensively reared livestock farm.
Dave is currently breeding a Tamworth (a heritage British breed) and a Tangalitsa (a cross of Tamworth and Mangalitsa, a Hungarian breed with a thick and woolly fleece). The pigs are happily rooting around for herbs, bugs, grubs and even the odd apple that falls from the tree.
One of Andy's pigs
Andy’s happy pigs make great tasting meat
Great quality meat is essential for great quality charcuterie. It’s the lifestyle of the pig that impacts the quality of the meat, and that’s exactly why Andy works with suppliers like Dave. They don’t use big flavours at Somerset Charcuterie (bar a few homegrown herbs, local cider, cheese and wild garlic) which means it’s the quality of the meat that matters.
Many of Andy’s suppliers will rear specifically for him, which is another benefit of working with small-scale farmers. Having a close relationship with his farmers means he can control the age, welfare and fat ratio of the animals to suit his artisan charcuterie.
The Charcuterie-making process is local & small-scale at every step
The abattoir Andy uses is just across the fields from the farm. This means massively lower mileage than most, something which helps to make his product more sustainable than most. The team are also working hard on plastic-free vacuum bags, but there are hurdles to overcome in finding an alternative (product deterioration, quality and cost being top of the list).
“Everything but the squeak!”
Andy’s charcuterie is produced locally on a small-scale, but his raw material is fundamentally a sustainable one too. If used properly, a pig is one of the most versatile meats going. Near enough every single part of the pig can be used, from trotters to brawn pig’s head.
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