GOTHELENEY FARM PORK

Good pork is at the heart of good charcuterie, and at Westcombe we’re lucky to have access to the native Tamworth pigs reared by Fred Price at nearby Gothelney Farm. Gothelney is a regeneratively-managed smallholding who carefully nurture the diverse biosphere of their land and are trailblazing towards a truly sustainable, resilient agroecology.

Gothelney’s slow-growing Tamworth pigs are reared to a minimum of ten months of age. They are very much ‘outdoor reared’ and enjoy a rich array of foraged cover crops and herbal leys. The pigs and the food they eat are all part of Gothelney’s low-input soil fertility management system. They reach a weight of around 120 kilos, ideal for creating the succulent back fat that helps make our charcuterie so flavoursome.

THE RANGE

SAUCISSON
Mould-ripened pork saucisson sec inspired by those from southwest France. Seasoned with black pepper, nutmeg and garlic, they boast a full, broth-like flavour and succulent texture.
250g & 700g

POMONA SALAMI
A new salami inspired by our Somerset surroundings. It is a very lightly-smoked pork and veal salami, studded with Pomona (cider brandy liqueur from Somerset Cider Brandy Co.) -steeped green peppercorns, and flavoured with a touch of marjoram. The result is a profile that is round and savoury, with wood smoke, subtle herb notes and then bursts of grassy pepper-y-ness with a hint of apple. Inspired by Autumn walks through the Somerset orchards, this has taken us a full year to develop a salami that captures the essence of Somerset. It is subtle, yet distinct, and most importantly of all, feels very much at home amongst our cheeses.
250g & 700g

FINOCCHIONA
A finer textured veal salami flavoured with wild Sicilian fennel seeds. Aromatic and silky.
250g & 700g

WESTCOMBE VEAL

Making charcuterie gives us the best use of our dairy herd’s bull calves. A world away from the continental veal that gives the word its bad name, our calves are reared here at the farm from 8 to 12 months of age (much longer than most rose veal). The young bulls roam the Westcombe hills, grazing our rich Somerset pasture, then spend the winter in our deep straw barns. There’s no light deprivation, confinement or restrictive diets, just the same high welfare husbandry we give all our cows.

While the pork from Gotheleney Farm is a key part of the character of Westcombe charcuterie, it is our home-reared veal that’s fundamental to its quality and distinctiveness. Using our calves in this way gives us a more sustainable use for the herd overall, allowing the young bulls to stay on the farm and contribute to our diverse pasture eco-system.

THE WESTCOMBE TERROIR

All our products are handmade in small batches – butchered, seasoned, cured and aged here at the dairy. We use our cheese-maturing experience to inform the mould-ripening process, allowing the microbial terroir here at Westcombe to impart its unique character and flora onto the charcuterie. All Westcombe Charcuterie products are sold ready to eat (unless otherwise stated). They are stable at ambient temperatures (below 18°C), and will stay safe during transport and stored in your kitchen / larder.

A WORD ON NITRATES

Please note that we do use nitrates, nitrites and ripening cultures in our salamis. However, we don’t use them for our whole muscle cuts (pancetta, guanciale, etc). Our research shows that using them improves the safety and quality of salami – and this has also been our experience to date.