The pannage season has now ended and the pork is available from next week. We have the following meat boxes of pannage pork available at £45 that contain:
1 x boned and rolled leg joint of 1.5kg
1kg shoulder (Boned and rolled or diced)
1kg spare ribs
1kg pork loin chops
1kg belly
1 pack of sausages
Pannage pork is an historical right bestowed to local people (Commoners) on common land and is an important part of the New Forest ecology: pigs can safely eat the acorns which are poisonous to the ponies and cattle. William the Conqueror established limitations and rules within the New Forest in the 11th Century that still hold today. This year, the pannage runs until late November.
The farmer then has to round them up from the forest where they have been hoovering up the acorns, along with beech mast, chestnuts and no doubt the occassional porcini mushroom. They are finished on barley.
We will be selling quarter boxes of pannage pork for £45, with a mix of leg joint,chops and belly. There are not very many, so do let us know if you are interested. The pork tastes as pork used to taste hundreds of years ago, when most people had pigs that were fattened on mast and acorns in the run up to Christmas. It is the most sustainable system in the UK, with delicious results.