Pretty in Pink Small-hold pig farming is an old Welsh tradition that is still being upheld by many porc producers in Wales today. A number of farmers in Wales have managed to produce the best quality of flavour by becoming experts on the breeds they care for on their farms. Some specialize in rare Welsh and British breeds, working to ensure that the tradition of producing porc from these breeds is not lost. taste.blas take a look at a few different farms and their different approaches to farming porc in Wales The Welsh countryside provides an ideal natural environment for free-range grazing, as the fields and woodlands allow for pigs to forage for their own food and live a more authentic and wild existence– one that also proves to be sustainable. This lifestyle, combined with good husbandry and care of pigs tends to result in top tier flavour in their porc products. However, every farm approaches their craft in a different way to produce the happiest and highest quality pig….
them back out again. Mary believes that the natural Welsh environment is key to the amazing flavour in the porc she produces. In particular, the sea-side climate results in a darker meat that is stronger in flavor, and their customers often say they’ve never tasted porc like what is produced at the farm. The farm sells whole pigs to a local farm shop, Bondant, and also sends the porc to be prepared and packaged off the premises to be sold locally.
Piggin Good Pork - Mary Benfield
Rhosyn Farm – Niel and Emma Rose
Located by the Northern coastal town of Colwyn Bay, Piggin Good Pork is a pig farm run by Mary Benfield since 1979. Mary follows simple and traditional farming methods, ensuring to prioritize the happiness and well-being of her animals. She notes that “Being from a farming family myself, I am keen not to forget the practices and experience handed down from my grandfather and his forefathers.” It is thanks to farmers like Mary that traditional farming methods can be carried forward into future generations.
Emma and her husband Niel own a traditional, smallscale 100 acre farm in Camarthenshire named Rhosyn Farm. They own a herd of Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs, a native breed which produces a great bacon and porc. The pigs are free to roam on the rich woodlands on the farm, allowing them to graze on a wide variety of minerals and nutrients. Piglets are also encouraged to wean naturally. Emma and Niel believe that the natural conditions and clean air provided by the Welsh countryside is key to delicious porc with strong flavour, along with ensuring that the pigs lead stress-free lives under their meticulous care. The proof is in the sausage, as their flavoured sausages have won six gold awards at the Royal Welsh Winter Fair.
Piggin Good Pork is home to around 90 pigs, all of which are cared for with close attention to the pig’s needs. The pigs reared on the farm are all rare British breeds, including Oxford Sandy and Black, Gloucestershire Old Spot and British Lop pigs. Mary is passionate about supporting the farming of these breeds, as they produce a particularly juicy and delectable porc that is loved by locals. They even have some boar-crosses that have a greatly unique flavour to them. Mary holds great affection for her pigs, commenting that the “pigs are brilliant to work with”. The farm has been very successful with breeding of pedigree Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, and now have their pigs all over the UK– including in Scotland, other parts of Wales, and scattered throughout England. Mary noted: “We bred an Oxford Sandy and Black boar who was exported to Holland to start a herd of the breed there. You may imagine we are very proud.” The great success of this farm shows the value in traditional good husbandry. While the farm is working towards having the pigs roam and forage freely on the 105 acre farm yearround, they have faced some difficulties due to environmental circumstances. The farm is located in a hollow, meaning that water can come in from different areas when it rains making the terrain very muddy. This has made it too difficult to keep the pigs out in the winter. Mary and her family have built yards so that the pigs can be outside, and are currently doing work in the woods to clear space to work towards getting
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Cwm Farm - Ruth Davies Ruth Davies and her Husband are pig and highland cattle farmers based at Cwm farm in Rhyd-y-fro, near Pontardawe in South Wales. At Cwm farm, they are intent on using traditional farming practices that have been in use for hundreds of years. They raise their Gloucestershire Old Spot pigs free-range in the outdoors, where they have access to fresh running water, fields, and woodlands where they can forage on acorns and other foods. This old and natural approach to pig farming is also incredibly sustainable, something which Ruth is very passionate about. They want to be able to give their pigs the most natural surroundings and lifestyle possible. She also believes that this life-style is key to a great-tasting porc, as the pigs are happy, well-looked after, and are eating a varied, yet native, diet. Ruth also likes to experiment with what sorts of porc products they can produce at the farm, like artisan salami crisps and biltong, and always uses local ingredients in her products. She loves seeing the process of creating the porc product from beginning to end, and seeing how customers react to trying new ways of enjoying porc. It is great to see that farmers
