At River Cottage HQ we regularly make charcuterie to Hugh’s own recipes on our butchery and smoking courses and these gems can be seen hanging in the barn and in our chillers at all times of the year.

Hugh started making his own charcuterie when he moved to the first River Cottage, way back in 1998. His experiments since then, along with help from HQ Head Chef, Gillon Meller and meat guru Ray Smith, have proved an unqualified success.

We met James and Graham (and now John) from Trealy Farm Charcuterie in July 2007 and were so impressed with their products we asked them to make us a delicious large salami with cracked black pepper and a spicy large chorizo with crunchy fennel seeds. We think they have done us proud.

This salami and chorizo is exclusive to us, made with the finest meat from Trealy Farm’s own traditional breed pigs and from Maurice Trumper’s prize winning pedigree Saddlebacks from, Pantybeilau Farm at Llanvair Kilgeddin. All animals come from small much loved herds are kept to a specific consistently high standard, are free-ranging, and fed natural feeds. Should the British weather dictate a spell inside, then the pigs are bedded down on locally grown straw and kept in covered yards.

We feel it is vital to know where the meat used in our salamis comes from and this is not just about fashion. By using meat only from Trealy Farm and from Pantybeilau Farm, Trealy Farm Charcuterie help to keep those breeds going and ensure that a local farmer gets a decent price for his animals. In return they are guaranteed pigs that give beautifully marbled meat with intense flavour and perfect texture. Meat such as this is the first step in ensuring the finest quality charcuterie products you’d expect from River Cottage and Trealy Farm.

James & Graham honed their skills as artisan charcuterie producers by extensive, and on-going, training in France, Italy, Spain and Germany. They share our passion for excellent quality, locally and ethically sourced ingredients and as a result we feel you have purchased a superior, and unique British product better than can be found on The Continent.

“ Trealy Farm make the best artisan charcuterie in the UK – and of course they only use the finest free range pork. We’ve devised two special recipes with them. A classic “peasant” salami, in the Eastern European style, with just a hint of garlic and some cracked black pepper. It’s delicious on its own as a snack with a glass of wine or cider. Secondly, a medium hot chorizo, with plenty of paprika, garlic and a sprinkling of fennel seeds. This also makes a great aperitif, but can be used to great effect as a cooking salami, fried up and served with scrambled eggs (huevos rancheros) or dropped into soups and stews. It goes wonderfully well with shellfish – helped along by those fennel seeds of course. See our recipe for scallops with chorizo, and also our famous River Cottage fish soup”

Your salami and chorizo have been lovingly nurtured and carefully matured over four weeks so they reach you in peak condition. The natural animal casings mean that no two pieces are uniform or the same size.

Please note: the combined weight of your charcuterie is approximately 1 kilo at the time of dispatch and each piece will continue to lose moisture as it ages and thus may lose a small amount of weight. Your charcuterie is at its best within 80 days and should be stored in a cool dry place, preferably with a bit of air flow such as a dry fridge or larder. Ideally they should be stored at a temperature of between 1-5oC. Once cut, store in the same way but cover the cut area. We usually wrap ours in a tea towel.

 
To serve they should be cut into thin slices, 2-3 mm thick with a sharp knife. It is recommended that the casing is peeled off before eating but it’s perfectly safe to eat. Enjoy on its own or serve as a little entrée, a lunch time snack with salad or just have a piece whenever you feel like it. Further serving suggestions and recipe ideas can be found here.

PLEASE NOTE:  This item is available to order now; your combo, along with any other items on the same order, will be dispatched once they are ready, expected dispatch is currently 17th December.

Trealy Farm, the family-run business based in the small village of Mitchel Troy near Monmouth, has won a stack of awards for its charcuterie.  Now their fennel sausage, made with pork, has been given a gold award by the prestigious True Taste Wales Awards 2008/09 - the official mark of food quality from the Welsh Assembly Government.