The breed
There are 14 breeds of pig in the UK including:
The Berkshire
The British Saddleback
Gloucestershire Old Spots
The Hampshire
The British Landrace
The Large White
The Large White
The Middle White
Oxford Sandy and Black
The Pietrain
The Tamworth
How it has been reared
Pigs are reared inside or outside in the UK. The quality of the meat depends on welfare standards and the feed used.
The curing process
Bacon and ham is either dry-cured or wet-cured.
Dry-cured produces a drier finish and fuller flavour.
Wet-cured produces a succulent and seasoned product and is more moist and different in texture.
The finished quality is equal in both curing processes and the product can then be smoked or left 'green' (unsmoked).
The cut
It is important to buy the correct cut for the preferred cooking method, for example boned spare rib of pork for roasting, pork tenderloins for pan-frying or belly of pork for slow cooking.
Bacon
Here are some examples of traditionally cured bacons:
Suffolk Sweet-Cured Bacon
The bacon is smoked after curing using salt and coarse brown sugar, giving a distinctly sweet flavour.
Wiltshire Bacon
It is available smoked or green and has a unique flavour which derives from the mild cure and the traditional local and home-grown feed.
Welsh Bacon
This is very salty bacon with a good flavour and is mainly only available locally in West Wales.
Ayrshire Bacon
Produced from the Great White breed of pig, the flavour is very mild and lightly salted and is available smoked or green.
'Tendersweet' Bacon
Available smoked or green, this is a dry cure with a high sugar content giving a mild flavour.
Ham
Here are some examples of traditionally cured hams:
York Ham
An unsmoked, rich salty ham with distinct pork flavour and a dry texture.
Cumberland Ham
This has a deep ham flavour that is slightly spicy and heavily salted.
Sausages
There are over 400 varieties of sausages available in Britain, many named after the places where they were originally made. A good British sausage is juicy and plump with at least 70% meat content.
Here are some examples of regional sausages:
Cumberland
Sold unlinked but curled, this is a coarse sausage highly seasoned with black pepper and spices.
Lincolnshire
A rich and meaty pork sausage with a herby flavour, normally sage or thyme.
Gloucester
Traditionally made with distinctive Gloucester Old Spot pork, sage and apples.
Welsh
A pork sausage flecked with green leek.
Additional Marks to look out for:
Quality Standard Pork: Pork sausages and other products carrying this mark come from farmers and processors committed to high standards of animal welfare, quality control and traceability. Pork and pork products from England and Wales use this quality mark.
