Free Range Pig in a Day

Your chance to meet the famous Blythburgh Free Range pigs who’ve become synonymous with the sandy soils of the Suffolk Heritage Coast. Father and son, Jimmy and Alastair Butler will take us around their farm and explain what makes their pork so special. Blythburgh pigs are free to roam in large paddocks giving them the space to display natural behaviours like rooting in the soil and playing. Not only does this improve their welfare but it also means they grow at a slower more natural rate and this in turn results in flavoursome, succulent meat.

Alastair Butler says: “We are firm believers that the future of British pork lies in the public understanding more about where food comes from and then people can make informed decisions about what they eat. Remember a free range pig is a happy pig and a happy pig surely tastes better!”

Back at Food Safari’s base, The Anchor at Walberswick, award-winning butcher Gerard King will who’ll show attendees how to tackle a pork carcass. Recent reports have suggested that there is a resurgence of interest in the forgotten cheaper cuts, like shoulder and belly, and Gerard will show us all of these as well as suggesting their uses in the kitchen.

We'll then get hands-on creating our own sausage recipes which will be barbequed for lunch. The day will wrap up with a relaxed pork lunch with beer and wine expertly selected by The Anchor’s own Mark Dorber.

Food Safari’s founders are Polly and Tim Robinson, who share a passion for sourcing, cooking and eating food made from fresh local produce. We have put down roots in the Suffolk countryside after many years in London.

Like many people, we were shopping more and more at farmers' markets to get our hands on fresh, local food and we really enjoyed meeting the producers who are so full of infectious enthusiasm for their produce.

Part of Polly’s family have been farming organically in North Wales since the 1970s, so we both knew there was incredible hard work and dedication behind the finished product. We wanted to find a way to get to meet these food heroes, to hear the unique stories, fascinating insights, and to experience the beautiful landscapes of the Suffolk countryside.

Suffolk is firmly on the food map and its outstanding natural countryside and coastal beauty combined with an abundance of local producers, restaurants, specialist food shops and the acclaimed annual Aldeburgh Food and Drink Festival make it a perfect destination for foodie holidays. We hope Food Safari will become a new way to explore Suffolk and get to know the people and landscapes that make it special.