Former yacht captain Mark Terry, and his partner April, an ex-corporate lawyer, have settled on the stunning island of Guernsey and established a successful charcuterie business. This is their story
I got my first couple of pigs back in 2004, when I was living in Cornwall,” explains Mark. “They were Cornish Blacks and enjoyed a good life, although I kept them too long and they grew fat. Nonetheless, the meat tasted great and I was hooked!
“I was working as a professional yacht captain in those days, which took me away from home for long periods of time, so keeping pigs on a regular basis was out of the question. But it didn’t stop me altogether, and my next pigs were Gloucestershire Old Spots. I got four of them and they were a marked improvement on the first ones.”
Early experimentation
“I’d learned a lot from my first pigs, which helped with this second group, and I started experimenting with my first attempts at homemade charcuterie; the results weren’t great, but the seeds of interest were sown. I knew from that moment that pigs and charcuterie would replace my career at sea, the only question was when?
“In fact, it took many years before the dream of farming pigs and making charcuterie for a living became a reality. In 2016, after buying a traditional farmstead with April on my home island of Guernsey, our business ‘Wallow’ was born. April grew up on a farm in rural Worcestershire, and was very keen for our young daughter, Elsie, to enjoy and benefit from growing up in a rural, farming environment.”
Clear vision
“I was adamant from the outset that all my charcuterie would be made from pigs bred and reared on our smallholding; the whole ‘farm-to-table’ idea is a cornerstone of our business philosophy. Also, all the pigs involved had to be pedigree, rare breed stock, so I approached a well-respected breeder on our neighbouring island of Alderney, who has a closed herd of Oxford Sandy and Blacks – beautiful pigs with a good pedigree.
Denne historien er fra Spring 2018-utgaven av Practical Pigs.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Spring 2018-utgaven av Practical Pigs.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Woodland Wonders
Chris Graham meets Vicky Quick, and her second batch of much-loved and greatly-appreciated, native breed pigs
Dangerous Diamonds!
Michaela Giles explains the ins and outs of Erysipelas, the serious threat it poses and how best to deal with it
Vital Awareness
Michaela Giles spotlights the latest campaigns aimed at raising awareness among keepers about the threats posed to their pigs by two serious diseases
Cause For Concern
Michaela Giles explains the dangers posed to our pig population by the threat of African Swine Fever, as this worrying disease creeps ever closer to the UK
Sailing To Success!
Former yacht captain Mark Terry, and his partner April, an ex-corporate lawyer, have settled on the stunning island of Guernsey and established a successful charcuterie business. This is their story
Buying guide: Middle White
Chris Graham introduces another of our native breeds that’s in desperate need of support, yet which should be nothing but a pleasure to own
Easy Fella!
Boars can be a touch pushy come the spring or, on very rare occasions, naturally aggressive. Michaela Giles provides some practical guidance on how best to deal with muscly males
What, No Piglets?
Michaela Giles investigates the huge topic of infertility in pigs, and provides a practical overview of the problem and its many and varied causes
Buying Guide: Welsh
Chris Graham introduces a breed of pig which he argues can offer keepers at all levels just about all they could ever wish for
Be Ready!
Experienced keeper Michaela Giles advises that it’s never too early to start thinking about winter, and how best to shepherd your pigs safely through it