Here is the first blog in a series of blogs written by our Chef Assessor and sustainability enthusiast, Charles Scullion. We have adopted two little Tamworth piggies from Peelham Farm, below is the beginning of the story…
Around Christmas last year I was visiting Foulden in the borders and was discussing the fantastic quality of the lamb shanks I was braising for dinner, which came from a local farm, Peelham, when Amanda from the farm appeared at the door seeking directions to deliver some produce to a customer in the village; we assisted her with directions and I had a quick chat with Amanda.
Chris, Denise and Amanda from Peelham have around 600 acres of organic farmland and specialise in raising rare breed Tamworth pigs as well as producing lamb, mutton, and ruby veal.
I had read a great article in the Guardian on Peelham from a ‘’Poater’’ and was intrigued. I had a look at their website and realised that they ran a ‘’Peelham own a Tamworth’’ (POAT) scheme. For a monthly fee Peelham would allocate me a piglet/weaner of my choice from a litter. Thus our POAT project was born. I contacted Denise and signed up. A few weeks later it was time to go to the farm and choose my piglet. I drove down from Glasgow and arrived at the farm after negotiating the track. The farm has amazing views towards the Cheviots and the North Sea coast at Coldingham.
I arrived and met Chris, Denise and Amanda and my fellow POATERS arrived. We had some refreshments and then went to choose our pigs. Tamworth’s are coarse haired pigs with a russet brown colour and a long snout; ideal for nosing in the woods and ground whilst foraging. I chose number 26, and, feeling that a number was rather impersonal consulted my colleagues later and decided to name her Penelope. Having chosen our piglets, Chris then took us on a tour of the farm, pointing out local landmarks, discussing organic farming in general, and explaining a little of the history of the farm.
Then we returned to the farmhouse kitchen for lunch prepared by Denise, which consisted of a delicious carrot and chorizo soup, using Peelham’s own chorizo, followed by amazing home cured mutton, spring greens and a potato gratin. I sat enjoying lunch listening to the experience of veteran POATERS, head spinning with the possibilities; air dried hams, chorizo, fennel salami, sausages…
After lunch Chris took us to see the pigs; as we approached the fields where the pigs reside, Chris noted that some had broken through the fence and were enjoying a sojourn to the woods. We arrived and met Tamworths of various sizes from huge Boars to 2 week old piglets. After an hour or so we returned to the farmhouse for tea and discussed the next POAT weekend and bade each other farewell.
Upon my return to Glasgow I mentioned to my colleagues that I had joined POAT; my boss Alan was intrigued and decided that we at Tennents Training Academy would become POATERS. I was instructed to choose a second piglet. On my second visit I arrived and was greeted by Denise. We went to the section of the farm where the pigs reside and checked up on Penelope; she had put on 10kg in weight and was visibly larger. I chose our Tennents pig, which turned out to be way heavier than mine and I briefly considered surreptitiously swapping pigs; they’d never know…
We repaired to the farmhouse for lunch and greeted a new POATER, Mark from Northumbria, and his 2 daughters Amelia and Francesca, who had arrived for the first time to choose their pig. We enjoyed our lunch of salad, homemade bread and Peelham ham and ventured to the farm butchery.
This was an amazing hour or so. We washed up and dressed in white hygiene coats and crocs. We all had a look at the carcasses, the processing machines, sausage makers and salami hanging rooms.
We discussed cuts, the best parts for charcuterie, curing times, and recipes. Francesca and Amelia spied the butchers’ chain mesh gloves and tried them on. Denise showed us the air dried hams; I immediately decided that I would use part of my pig for that. We tasted the fennel salami, salami, and the chorizo. Denise told us how they had developed their range of charcuterie, inviting Italian pork butchery specialists to Peelham and going to Italy themselves to learn the traditional charcuterie craft. We left the butchery and went to the fields for Mark, Amelia and Francesca to choose their pig. When we got to the field we saw a vista of various sized Tamworths. We spent an hour or so wandering around the fields. Francesca massaged the back of a huge breeding boar called ‘’Crackerjack’’ who became transfixed with ecstasy, all his wiry hair sticking on end, his feet rooted to the spot, leaning into her. They chose a pig with an intact ear; the other had been damaged through rough and tumble.
We returned to the kitchen where Denise treated us to freshly made flapjacks and discussed our next visit. We bade farewell and I decided to attend a butchery class at the farm butchery in July. I cannot wait to get the sleeves rolled up…
Potted history of the breed: courtesy of Denise at Peelham:
The Tamworth is the oldest pure British breed of pig having never been ‘improved’ by crossing with Chinese or Neapolitan pigs. It originated in Sir Robert Peel’s Drayton Manor Estate at Tamworth, Staffordshire, after the existing herd was interbred from 1812 with pigs from Ireland known as ‘Irish Grazers’, that Peel had seen in Ireland in 1809. Much of the improvement of the breed took place in Staffordshire and also in the counties of Warwick, Leicester and Northampton, England. The breed appears among the least interbred with non-European breeds, and therefore one of the closest to the original European forest swine.
In the year 1865 Tamworth’s achieved English breed recognition and in 1885 the herd book was started.
The most salient feature of the Tamworth is its great hardiness with respect to adverse climates. Thus the breed does well in its more northerly settings such as Scotland and Canada, where winters are severe, not only in regard to cold but also high winds. The animal is not only durable and rugged, but is extremely well suited for forest grazing. The Tamworth grazes compatibly with cattle, being able to retrieve forage that cattle leave behind in the open pasture. This animal is very efficient at excavation while rooting for food in the forest or pasture. The breed is used in forage-based farming systems. The sows demonstrate good maternal skills, being consistent in suckling all littermates. Litters normally range in size from six to ten piglets. The Tamworth is known for its good nature and its enjoyment of people.
The Peelham Farm Tamworth’s, are part of one of the largest UK herds of Tamworth and certainly the largest herd of Tamworth’s in Scotland (some 250). This is a semi-upland farm ranging from 300-700’. The Tamworth’s forage and fatten free-range and with their characteristics are an important part of Peelham’s organic rotation.
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