Look out for our new Products. Apple smoked bacon - our own dry cured back or streaky bacon gently smoked over Bramley Apple wood chips. Cherry smoked dry cured bacon - gently and slowly smoked over local cherry wood chips. These products are smoked in our own smoker carefully watched over to ensure that the flavour of the wood enhances the meat without smothering the natural flavour of our pork. |
The Wilkinson Family
David Wilkinson began pig farming many years ago and for over twenty five years has been raising his own breed of pigs. At the beginning pigs were grown for others to retail as pork.
When the Foot and Mouth epidemic struck life was difficult as the farming businesses were severely hit. Undaunted David started again but this time his business plan was to breed, grow on his own pigs and then retail the pork direct to the public.
The prime aims were to rear animals in a natural environment on a free range system where the pigs live happily, outdoors all year round. These aims still are paramount in the farm side of the business. To these David and Debbie have added that they will only sell free range, naturally reared pork, freshly prepared for their customers each week.
The farm is on the A350 in Lacock in Wiltshire and their butchery is just up the road in Bowden Hill, Lacock.
The butchery has an average throughput of about one and half tonnes of pork each week for the markets and local supplies. The throughput increases greatly for special orders and events. Carcasses arrive on Monday when the butchers start work preparing joints and by Wednesday sausages have all been handmade, fresh faggots cooked, ham and bacon sliced - all packed and ready for local delivery on Thursday and the weekend markets. Some products do take a little longer as hams need to be cured and some products like bacon smoked - all smoked products are smoked inhouse using selected wood chips that enhance the flavour of the products rather than giving it a smoked taste. The butchery/preparation operation is managed by Debbie ably assisted by Lizzie, Tunda and Tess, plus, of course, the hardworking butchers.
At the present time, with the help of Matt, Davids son, down on the farm, they attend farmers markets in London offering a huge range of fresh pork and other products, every weekend. Please take a look at Our Products to see the complete range and Where to find us for market details.
In the past couple of years Downland have been privileged to prepare and sell Beef from a neighbouring Pedigree South Devon beef herd. The meat is hung for at least 23 days to allow the meat to mature and become tender with a superb flavour. The beef is prepared to the same high standards as the pork in the Downland butchery.
Downland have a very high reputation their fresh meats and other products are bought by discerning hotels, restaurants and pubs in London and local to the farm.
South Devon beef herd