FAQs

Will your meat taste like supermarket meat?

We hope it will taste better! There will be similarities but it will not be the same. Supermarket meat comes from specific breeds of animal adapted to modern commercial farming techniques whereas our native and rare breed animals do not. Our meat may well be less consistent and will have a higher fat content (see next question) but it is also likely to taste far better as our animals have been allowed to develop slower and eat a more natural diet.

Why is my pork fattier than supermarket meat?

The majority of supermarket pork is reared inside. Here the temperature can be controlled to ensure pigs do not have to waste food energy on heating themselves and inside use it to grow. Many breeds used nowadays would struggle to live outdoors as they have been bred to be so lean. Our pigs spend their lives outdoors where they need a good layer of fat to stay warm, a benefit of this is that it makes the most amazing crackling. Native breeds are naturally more fatty than commercial pigs but with fat comes flavour. It melts during cooking keeping the meat moist and juicy. What is left at the end of cooking can always be removed if necessary but we endeavour not to let our pigs get too fatty to ensure the pork is the best it can be.

There are some hairs attached to my pork!

Pigs are hairy (particularly native breeds)! The abbatoir dehairs our pigs and we do our best to remove even more but some cuts (particularly with skin attached like belly strips) may well still have some hair left attached. This will drop off during cooking.

What does goat meat taste like?

Goat meat is very lean. In terms of cuts and cooking it is closest to lamb but it has a slightly darker meat and a gamier flavour. Whilst it is fabulous in curry it is very versatile and is just as good roasted with garlic and rosemary or substituted for lamb in any recipe. 

Are you not sad when you send your animals to slaughter?

No. We know from early in an animals life whether it is destined for meat or not. Whilst we do not treat them any differently they are not named and there is never any pretence as to where they will end up. We pride ourselves on upholding the best welfare standards possible and we truly believe that happy and contented animals make better tasting meat. By farming rare breed animals we are continuing to keep alive breeds that may otherwise become extinct due to modern farming practices selecting only a few breeds. By eating rare breed meat you are ensuring it's survival.