[greenbeast]

i think if you're going to have trouble selling cuts get more sausages made, everyone buys sausages. They are our biggest seller by far!

and yes, packaging and presentation is definitely important if you are trying to reach a bit further.

This is us:

[Gregoz]

Do you butcher your own stuff/ make own sausages etc green beast?

[greenbeast]

no we don't have the time/skill/facilities, we have a private kill butcher do it for us.
Simplifies things regarding EH as well as we never touch the meat

[DeanoT2000]

Well 'Bacon Day' as it has dubbed is swiftly approaching.  Slapmarks have been applied (fairly painlessly it has to be said), eAML 2 has been sent, abattior is booked, trailer is booked.... I think we're ready.

Thanks for the info, its been very well received. 

However........ I must admit im a bit p*ssed off with some peoples attitude as to cost.... had someone this afternoon do the teeth sucking act while saying '£6.60/kg mates rate? (what a half pig works out at ish)....'I saw it in my local butchers at £5.50/kg'.....! When compared to Tesco Finest (which i suggest ours is at least equal to) at a minimum of £7.00/kg and up??
Some people can take a running jump!!!

Hey ho

ATB

Deano

[MarthaR]

I'm near you I think (abergavenny). Take mine to Neil James at Raglan and then transfers to have Huntsham Farm (Symonds Yat) process and pack them. They're excellent. All vackpacked and labelled and boxed. Very helpful, good value and work to your cutting list. I sell a half pig (19kg ish) for £160. Don't worry about the teethsuckers. Important to stick to a decent price and there are people in this area who will pay it.
Martha R

[DeanoT2000]

MarthaR, mine are also headed for Neil at Raglan, can I ask why you're not getting him to process as well? He's quoted (as far as my failing memory can recall) £40 for the basic 'kill and cut' with sausages at £2/kg and bacon curing tbc.  I'm planning on having him process 5 halves into basic joints with a good quantity of sausage and half of the loins cured. I'll do the remaining half myself.

[farmers wife]

However........ I must admit im a bit p*ssed off with some peoples attitude as to cost.... had someone this afternoon do the teeth sucking act while saying '£6.60/kg mates rate? (what a half pig works out at ish)....'I saw it in my local butchers at £5.50/kg'.....! When compared to Tesco Finest (which i suggest ours is at least equal to) at a minimum of £7.00/kg and up??
Some people can take a running jump!!!

Hey ho

ATB

Deano

Yes welcome to the world of direct sell and selling quality meat - you can only sell to people who are foodies and are compassionate about welfare.  Wasting your time with idiots who think they'll be getting a bargain.  The reason why we packed up direct sell it was a business in its entirety now we fill the freezer and the odd person have a half.  You have to have a good circle of passionate people and excellent selling skills.  If its not for you just do it for yourself.

[farmers wife]

I'm near you I think (abergavenny). Take mine to Neil James at Raglan and then transfers to have Huntsham Farm (Symonds Yat) process and pack them. They're excellent. All vackpacked and labelled and boxed. Very helpful, good value and work to your cutting list. I sell a half pig (19kg ish) for £160. Don't worry about the teethsuckers. Important to stick to a decent price and there are people in this area who will pay it.
Martha R

Thats interesting but I bet thats costly.  I know Richard and had no idea he had started a packing plant but after Cinderford folded he must of been stuck.  Im surprised Neil does this but suppose it lightens his load.  Can you confirm costings for basic cut please.  Im going to do my own bacon. 

[farmers wife]

MarthaR, mine are also headed for Neil at Raglan, can I ask why you're not getting him to process as well? He's quoted (as far as my failing memory can recall) £40 for the basic 'kill and cut' with sausages at £2/kg and bacon curing tbc.  I'm planning on having him process 5 halves into basic joints with a good quantity of sausage and half of the loins cured. I'll do the remaining half myself.

Suppose if your selling to a quality standard its back to the top notch cutting, packing, labelling and box???

[DeanoT2000]

OH picked up the pork on Friday, have to admit we were both excited to see how it went. Girls killed out at 72,73 and 74 kg (a lot less than we got from the tape method of measuring which put them in the 80-85kg range) and roughly probed at 38-45mm fat, which was a little disappointing. Neil the butcher was very complimentary about their condition and said it was more fat than most consumers want but will make amazing sausages. 

Got a half back myself for some home butchery practice and spent half of yesterday butchering and packing, Luckily I have access to a decent vacuum packing machine and have re-packed the meat to a better standard and started selling it on.  Today is bacon curing and sausage making, cant wait!

Many thanks to all on the site who've helped out with advice at what was a fairly fraught time! We now have two OSB gilts  and will be recieving 2 Berkshire gilts when our 'pig move hold' expires.

And the butcher was unsurprisingly right.... the sausages are bloody awesome.

Deano

[Hairybathplug]

Neil did my two last autum about the same dead weight and fat layer, I agree the sausages were the best i've ever eaten, interestingly I had sausage from Neil's catering trailer at Usk show whist they very good I didnt think as good?  It could be bias, breed or the amount of fat on the pig??  Were are you getting your weaners from Deano as I will be looking again april/may

[DeanoT2000]

These three (our first pigs) were bought from a lovely lady called Susan Tanner down Glastonbury way. The day I dropped these three off we picked up some OSB weaners locally in Eardisley (15miles west of Hereford) to take pride of place at our Wedding Hog Roast in Jun.  They turned out to be older than we wanted so they'll be meeting Neil mid april and our Berkshires will be joining us at the wedding reception!  Learnt a lot on the first iteratation and plan to do the following differently:

1) We had ours incorrectly on 'Grower' pellets throughout thier life mistakenly thinking that 'Sow' pellets were inappropriate.  On advice we shall convert these onto 'Sow' pellets at some point to slow their growth... this is a marathon not a sprint!

2) We  took them to visit Neil too late at almost 28 weeks hoping to acheive good back bacon 'eye'.  This didnt happen we just got fat pigs. These ones will be going around 22-24 weeks weight depending. HOWEVER see point 3.

3) We didnt get enough sausages made! Everyone who has bought so far has had a large qty of sausage vs joints/chops. If this continues the fat to lean ratio we accidentally acheived made excellent sausages and if this is a viable option for selling it may be the way to do business.

Every day is a school day...

ATB Deano

2Kg leg joint we've just had for lunch. Good god it was nice!

[Hairybathplug]

We found the sausage and chops sales lead to the sale of the joints from repeat buyers!   If I had pigs ready in summer I would have 100% sausage made I think.   

[MarthaR]

I'm near you I think (abergavenny). Take mine to Neil James at Raglan and then transfers to have Huntsham Farm (Symonds Yat) process and pack them. They're excellent. All vackpacked and labelled and boxed. Very helpful, good value and work to your cutting list. I sell a half pig (19kg ish) for £160. Don't worry about the teethsuckers. Important to stick to a decent price and there are people in this area who will pay it.
Martha R

Thats interesting but I bet thats costly.  I know Richard and had no idea he had started a packing plant but after Cinderford folded he must of been stuck.  Im surprised Neil does this but suppose it lightens his load.  Can you confirm costings for basic cut please.  Im going to do my own bacon.

Yes - set up as Cinderford shut I think. He has limited capacity but I pay 50p per kg for cutting and packing and extra obviously for sausages. I think it's great value. And believe Neil is fine with it as he has so much on.
Martha

[3county farm boy]

Well done Deano I was really pleased to see your outcome (all that lovely pork) but even more pleased you went straight out and bought more pigs