How far is your fork from our porc?

• Porc from Wales Week (24 – 30 January) is an annual celebration of artisan producers and retailers in Wales that specialise in high quality porc.
• Broadcasters Samantha Evans and Shauna Guinn of Hang Fire Southern Kitchen fame and rugby legend Scott Quinnell are teaming up to encourage people to cook with locally produced porc.
• The pig industry in Wales is primed with promise/endless possibilities. Many producers are expanding their product range, proving that porc is an exceptional and versatile product. Porc is recognised as a quality meat and it is becoming increasingly popular with consumers and restaurateurs alike.

Porc from Wales Week (24 – 30 January) is an annual celebration of artisan producers and retailers that specialise in breeding and supplying high quality porc and porc products, from traditional Welsh sausages to Italian style charcuterie.

With a ‘How far is your fork from our porc’ theme this year, leading figures from Welsh food such as broadcasters Samantha Evans and Shauna Guinn of Hang Fire Southern Kitchen fame, and a host of food bloggers from Wales, will be showcasing the very best of locally sourced porc and where consumers can buy it from.

Experts in their field

Wales is home to small-scale and artisan porc producers specialising in creating a unique, hand-reared product; a consequence of this is that it is often only available to buy directly from the producer or local independent shops, like butchers.

How food is produced and the impact it has on the environment have increasingly become important factors for consumers in recent years. For generations, Welsh farmers have played a pivotal role in creating and maintaining the rural landscapes that we know and love, both physically and culturally.

The importance of the farming and agricultural industry to the economic wellbeing of communities across Wales is highlighted by research showing that for every one pound spent locally with an SME, up to 70 pence circulates back into the local economy.

The industry is currently a growing one in Wales with an increasing number of producers starting a new business and research has shown that 2021 sales of pork products UK-wide (fresh and frozen, cuts and processed) were 15% higher than in 2019.

Kyle Holford and Lauren Smith of Forest Coalpit Farm said: “We’ve found that since the start of the pandemic people are more inclined to buy locally. It’s just that sense of achievement and pride that you get when all your hard work is ready for people to buy and enjoy. That sense of community matters to us because and I’m sure that our customers would feel that too knowing they had given something back to the community.

“I think it’s all down to the fact that because our supply chain is short, our customers are confident that their meat hasn’t been traipsed all around the country. There is also a personal touch to our offer. We believe that attention to detail during the entire production process, whether that’s breeding, rearing, caring for our pigs and feeding them a soya-free diet is key to our success.

“Our ‘Welsh Black” pigs live happily outdoors in woodland and pasture in the Brecon Beacons National Park.  With a free range existence, within a small-scale herd, we believe his stress-free environment really does make a difference to our customers.  Knowing that the animal has had access to fresh air and plenty of room to roam is a huge selling point.”

When Hang Fire met Scott Quinnell

To celebrate Porc from Wales Week, Sam and Shauna will be showing rugby legend Scott Quinnell how to cook porc ‘tomahawks’ with West Indian salsa verde, sweet potato steaks and jerk porc bonbons.

Sam Evans of the Hang Fire duo said: “We’re delighted to be part of this year’s Porc from Wales Week. We’re all about cooking fresh, local, quality ingredients, with excellent sustainability credentials, so really, porc ticks all our boxes!

“We’ve created this amazing dish of porc tomahawks with a West Indian salsa verde and Scott Quinnell is going to help us make the dish in an exclusive masterclass. We’ll show you (and Scott!) how easy it is to prepare and cook porc and introduce you to some exciting flavours.

“What makes porc so special is that it’s so easy to cook with. We love cooking porc on the BBQ, but we’re excited to show you (and Scott) how you get the best from this fantastic produce in your own kitchen. You can get some cracking results from porc, and people shouldn’t be afraid to experiment with flavours. And it’s not just about bangers on the barbie; porc is great for roasting, frying, stir-frying and slow cooking. So, why not pop to your local butcher’s shop or your local pork producer and ask your butcher for some delicious porc. You won’t be disappointed!”

You can find Hang Fire’s recipe and more information on Porc from Wales Week at www.porcweek.wales