News at Eleven – Salami Steals the Show
Every day of the Game Fair we served up ‘Elevenses’ with a twist; The finest Fennel salami from Somerset Charcuterie wrapped round strips of the finest Le Gruyère cheese and washed down with a Dutch Barn vodka cocktail. This combination proved popular with guests to the Le Gruyère stage, saying it would make a classic shoot day snack. To say it was a hit would be an understatement!
Catherine Farinha, Director of The Chefs’ Forum, said: “It was a winner and very popular with visitors and chefs alike. It’s just what you need on a shoot day – something easy to snack on and a warming cocktail. Just the job for those winter mornings! They also looked great layer out on the special boards provided by Richkins Woodcraft.”
Andy & James had been hobby charcutiers for several years. Andy grew up on a pig farm and James is a member of a small village cooperative of 6 families who raise livestock. Their daughters become best friends at the local school and it wasn’t long before they discovered that they shared passion for curing meats and making salami. Over a pint of cider at a local lawn-mower race (this is Somerset!), the idea for a quality British Charcuterie business was conceived. Both of them have run their own food businesses for several years and could see an opportunity to develop a range of products that followed traditional Spanish, French and Italian methods but were adapted to the British market and capitalised on the rich food culture of the Southwest.
Within 6 months the first products were ready to try on family and friends and, with some encouraging feedback, the first farmers markets were booked to test the product on the general public. The buzz around the stall at the first market was electric and the decision was made. Somerset Charcuterie was born.
Now in their 8th year the team are going through up to two tonnes of pork a week along with local wild venison from our favourite, Curtis Pitts Deer Services, local free-range duck, grass fed beef and lamb. Everything is handmade now, and will remain that way in order to preserve the artisan texture, flavours and look.. Everything is handmade now, and will remain that way in order to preserve the artisan texture, flavours and look. They moved into their new production unit on the farm a couple of years ago but are now already looking to expand in order to meet the growing demand.
“We are committed to producing the best product with the best of Somerset ingredients wherever we can. We are now regularly in several markets across Somerset and Bristol, at festivals around the country, in pubs, restaurants and delis. It has been a fantastic success story so far and we are very lucky to have a loyal fan base to whom we are very grateful. We are looking forward to developing new and exciting products, meeting like-minded meat lovers and expanding our business further afield. If you are interested in stocking our product or would like to work with a great team in a fledgling artisan food business, please get in touch.”
