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Pig in a Day

Pig in a Day

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£245.00 Inclusive

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10:00 - 17:00

Pig Butchery Course at River Cottage

Join experienced butcher Connor Reed for a one-day immersive pig butchery course at River Cottage. Connor, who has trained all our chefs in the art of butchery, will guide you through pig husbandry, animal welfare, and the traditional craft of butchery.

Throughout the day, you’ll observe the breakdown of a whole pig into primary cuts and learn how sausages, bacon, chorizo, and classic dishes like brawn and roasted pig’s head joint are made. Alongside expert demonstrations, enjoy tastings, a two-course lunch, and take home your own handmade pork products.

This course offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of ethical meat preparation and nose to tail cooking.

Is this course suitable for me?  This course isn’t suitable for those who are pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan. We recommend this course for participants aged 12 and up. Under-16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all our guests. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or need more information.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME

You’ll meet your host and kick off the day with tea, coffee, and a freshly baked treat from the kitchen.

SESSION ONE

We'll delve into the fascinating world of pig husbandry, exploring the provenance of your meat, and learn the art of butchering a whole pig into its primary cuts—an essential skill for any meat lover.

SESSION TWO

Next, you’ll master the art of preparing and tying roasting joints, plus uncover the secrets to achieving that perfect, crispy crackling every time.

SESSION THREE

You’ll dive into making sausages, liver pâté, and a range of mouth-watering offal dishes, including brawn, roasted pig’s head joint, Chinese BBQ ribs, and devilled kidneys. Enjoy tastings of these delicious creations throughout the day.

LUNCH

Food is at the heart of everything we do at River Cottage, and a delicious two-course lunch featuring local, seasonal produce with tasty porky additions will be one of the highlights of your day.

SESSION FOUR

Next, you’ll get hands-on with crafting fabulously flavourful chorizo, dry-cured bacon, and River Cottage’s own mouth-watering bangers.

DEPARTURE

You’ll have time to chat with your fellow participants and the River Cottage team as the course wraps up at 4:30. Then, at 5pm, you’ll head back up the hill, proudly carrying your liver pâté, chorizo, and River Cottage bangers.

Highlights

  • Explore pig husbandry and welfare to understand the roots of your food
  • Learn the art of butchery as you break down a pig into perfect cuts
  • Make your own sausages and discover how delicious they can be
  • Uncover hidden cuts of pork and learn how to prepare them like a pro
  • Indulge in a hearty pork lunch showcasing your day’s work
Artisanal SkillsMeat CoursesRiver Cottage Courses
Can’t find the right date? Click here to receive an alert
when new dates are released for this event.
10:00 - 17:00
|
from £245.00
Two men stand at a butcher's counter, examining a large piece of meat.
Three men in a restaurant engaged in conversation while observing a pig butchery demonstration.
Two raw pork cuts displayed on a wooden cutting board.
Two men stand at a butcher's counter, examining a large piece of meat.
Three men in a restaurant engaged in conversation while observing a pig butchery demonstration.
Two raw pork cuts displayed on a wooden cutting board.

Proudly Accredited & Award-Winning

Proud to hold the ICSA Centre of Excellence award, we uphold the highest standards in culinary education.

Pig Butchery Course at River Cottage

Join experienced butcher Connor Reed for a one-day immersive pig butchery course at River Cottage. Connor, who has trained all our chefs in the art of butchery, will guide you through pig husbandry, animal welfare, and the traditional craft of butchery.

Throughout the day, you’ll observe the breakdown of a whole pig into primary cuts and learn how sausages, bacon, chorizo, and classic dishes like brawn and roasted pig’s head joint are made. Alongside expert demonstrations, enjoy tastings, a two-course lunch, and take home your own handmade pork products.

This course offers a unique opportunity to deepen your understanding of ethical meat preparation and nose to tail cooking.

Is this course suitable for me?  This course isn’t suitable for those who are pescatarian, vegetarian or vegan. We recommend this course for participants aged 12 and up. Under-16s must be accompanied by a paying adult. These guidelines are in place to ensure the safety, comfort, and enjoyment of all our guests. Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions or need more information.

MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME

You’ll meet your host and kick off the day with tea, coffee, and a freshly baked treat from the kitchen.

SESSION ONE

We'll delve into the fascinating world of pig husbandry, exploring the provenance of your meat, and learn the art of butchering a whole pig into its primary cuts—an essential skill for any meat lover.

SESSION TWO

Next, you’ll master the art of preparing and tying roasting joints, plus uncover the secrets to achieving that perfect, crispy crackling every time.

SESSION THREE

You’ll dive into making sausages, liver pâté, and a range of mouth-watering offal dishes, including brawn, roasted pig’s head joint, Chinese BBQ ribs, and devilled kidneys. Enjoy tastings of these delicious creations throughout the day.

LUNCH

Food is at the heart of everything we do at River Cottage, and a delicious two-course lunch featuring local, seasonal produce with tasty porky additions will be one of the highlights of your day.

SESSION FOUR

Next, you’ll get hands-on with crafting fabulously flavourful chorizo, dry-cured bacon, and River Cottage’s own mouth-watering bangers.

DEPARTURE

You’ll have time to chat with your fellow participants and the River Cottage team as the course wraps up at 4:30. Then, at 5pm, you’ll head back up the hill, proudly carrying your liver pâté, chorizo, and River Cottage bangers.

Highlights

  • Explore pig husbandry and welfare to understand the roots of your food
  • Learn the art of butchery as you break down a pig into perfect cuts
  • Make your own sausages and discover how delicious they can be
  • Uncover hidden cuts of pork and learn how to prepare them like a pro
  • Indulge in a hearty pork lunch showcasing your day’s work
Artisanal SkillsMeat CoursesRiver Cottage Courses
Can’t find the right date? Click here to receive an alert
when new dates are released for this event.

Reviews (6)

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5 / 5 (6 ratings)
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  1. Debra
    –

    Connor is a born teacher he is happy to share his knowledge and is passionate about his work. This course was so interesting and I learnt a lot about the butchery of a pig and the cuts of meat and there uses this coupled with Conor’s experience in a French butchers gave us both Uk and French butchers techniques! The dishes we tasted were great particularly the Roasted Head and offal dishes. An opportunity to walk around the farm to talk about the pigs and also to see the gardens was an added bonus. All in all a great day Thank you.

  2. Emma
    –

    “A brilliant day and my husband and I enjoyed every minute from seeing the weaners, understanding pig husbandry, systematically working through the different parts of the pig and eating different cuts of pork throughout the course. I never realised how tasty a pig’s head can be!”

  3. Jeanette
    –

    Great food and all fresh and local, fabulous staff, we picked up plenty of tips

  4. George
    –

    Brilliant chef for the day, it was amazing thankyou, and really appreciate the hard work and effort that must go on behind the scenes everyday to organise all you do, as well as to do the day itself thankyou.

  5. Zoe
    –

    Well organised, relaxed, great environment to learn – I enjoyed the course and it was inspiring too!

  6. Diana
    –

    “Our chef teacher was enthusiastic, friendly and very helpful and informed. I love cooking and I really enjoyed myself. However long you’ve been cooking you can always learn new things and the dishes we made were all delicious.”