Pork Provisions

It's just three years since Mangal and Wurzel, closely followed by Pepper and Ginger, arrived at The Old Rectory and inspired the creation and development of RectoryReserve. Since the first litter, born on 26 November 2007, a further eleven have entered the world - 82 sets of trotters in all.

But you can't just have piglets! Lives, movements, futures, matings etc all have to be planned and managed, strategies developed and RectoryReserve kept moving forward.

All these challenges fall in the hands of The Big Boss. Whilst some of us have fun playing with our four legged friends outside, he spends much of his life poring over ledgers, charts and documents of every description - all the stuff that enables what started as a little acorn to grow into a strong sapling...... and perhaps even a sturdy tree.

Pork provisioning was always on the agenda: at each successive Open Day an increasing number of products has become available and the range currently encompasses over 20 different items - such as sausages and bacons, joints, chops, steaks, ribs, various eat-now pasties and pies, charcuterie such as air-dried ham and Warst (a traditional Terrine-type delicacy) and, of course, our unique Gourmet chocolate.

Until recently,the main way of delivering these goodies to our customers was via the Open Days but The Boss's strategy for this year is taking us out and about to Local Farmer's Markets and various Foodie events around the county. The Country Adventures mentioned in an earlier blog!

Thus it is that almost every week RectoryReserve's stall is set up at some venue or other - most recently the local racecourse, a Walking Festival and a Country Estate feature weekend - enabling an increasing number of people to join the curly coat pigs' fan club!

But you can't just "turn up" to market! We're on a very steep learning curve. Which items will sell and in what quantities is one mystery, how many people with how different expectations will turn up is another. No two occasions are the same. In England the weather naturally plays a big part. The Boss, wet cloth ever present over his head, tries to take into account all the possible vagaries and options when provisioning but it's an uncertain science nonetheless! Records are being kept though and hopefully over the next few months a pattern will develop which will inform next year's strategy. Meanwhile, the Adventure continues..................

No grass growing under little trotters here: 'Onwards and upwards' as they say!