WHeng Dhruv Baker, former master chef The winner founded the British Pork Company nine years ago, focusing on selling in a small number of high-end retailers such as Harrods and Fortnum & Mason.
He said the market for British pork had historically been constrained, with most producers struggling to supply at scale. “We have always known that to realize the full potential of British pork, we must be able to reliably supply the mainstream market,” he said.
Well, the time has come. Baker is one of a number of producers meeting the growing demand for meat raised and cured on British soil. He merged his brand, Rare & Pasture, with another company he founded to form The Curing Barn, which is now stocked in 230 Tesco locations. “This is the first time for British producers to run a campaign of this scale in the UK and we have high hopes that this will be a catalyst for growth for the industry,” he said.
There are currently over 200 registered cured meat producers in the UK. Waitrose is the only supermarket other than Tesco to carry British pork, and in April it introduced a salami brand called The Real Cure. A spokesperson said Waitrose was quick to jump on new trends because its customers “love supporting Britain”. They said the product “offers something different and is already proving popular.” “Similar to the boom in British sparkling wine, there is no reason to think that the popularity of British charcuterie will not continue to grow.”
British producers have entered a tough market dominated by famous cured meats from France, Italy and Spain. But their strength lies in the flavor of British pork, which Baker said is “typically of a higher quality than the pork used in imported products” and has “more richness”.
Brexit may also have helped. Baker said: “I think there will be fewer small-scale artisan products from the continent in the UK post-Brexit, mainly because stricter regulations have increased the cost and time it takes to export them.” said. This means less choice for UK consumers, as only large European producers can absorb these additional costs, while for UK producers, who are freed from the burden of additional paperwork. It's also an opportunity.
Andrew Shreve, sales director at Cobble Lane Cured in London, said: “We have seen a huge increase in demand for the UK charcuterie market since Covid-19 and Brexit. This will enable us to open a second, even larger production site in 2023.” And we're already considering a third site. ”
Will Murgatroyd, who set up Curing Rebels in Brighton with fellow chef Rich Judd, said while there was clearly an increase in pork producers, he said: “Is this a direct link to Brexit or is it just a matter of the economy in general?'' “It is difficult to quantify whether this is due to a change in economic direction or not.” work”.
It's important to Curing Rebels that we take inspiration from European style without being limited by it. This means making the saucisson softer in texture and hardening the coppa with used coffee grounds. Freed from the constraints imposed on producers of protected meats such as Parma ham, innovations such as Goan beer sticks are also possible. “We took the British love of curry and added it to snack salami,” Murgatroyd said. “This is one of our most popular products.”
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As more producers enter the market, prices become more competitive. “The price of pork in the UK is a constraint on our growth as an industry,” Mr Baker said. The company has invested heavily in equipment and introduced efficiency into its production model while maintaining artisan quality. “This means you can live on lower profit margins,” he added. “Due to high animal welfare and relatively low production volumes, British pork remains relatively expensive compared to many imported produce, but it is no longer prohibitively expensive.” Fennel salami, smoked coppa, spiced A pack of his charcuterie board meats, which includes a lean pork loin, costs £4.50 at Tesco.
For some, a break from European terminology is essential to creating a burgeoning British industry. Isaac McHale, chef and owner of The Clove Club, a two-Michelin star restaurant that has been producing its own charcuterie since opening in 2013. He said adopting a European name would interfere with the product's culinary identity. “Maybe we need a British name for those things, whatever the name.”
Mr Baker hopes British producers can compete with imports here and then start exporting to compete with European pork in their own backyard. “We've seen this happen with sparkling wine and cheese. We see no reason why we can't export our products internationally,” he said.
