Despite the crisis engulfing the pork industry, there is some good news from a Cornish producer.
Primrose Herd, a family business more than 20 years old, has expanded to a new site in Newham on the outskirts of Truro.
The large new processing facility, office space and pop-up shop will allow the pork producer to keep up with demand as online sales are increasing and many of Cornwall’s hotels and restaurants choose its products.
The expansion has been overseen by Sally Lugg, an award-winning farmer and business leader, who has grown the family operation from just two pigs in 1999 to today's success.
Sally said: “There’s a lot of uncertainty and change in farming and food production right now, but our supply chain is short and luckily we’ve got loyal, skilled staff, so we’ve avoided the worst of the recent upheaval.
“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, demand continues to grow so it feels like the right time to expand into a new facility.
"We’re offering a Click & Collect service here in Newham for online orders, and will be opening a pop-up shop in the run-up to Christmas.”
Sally choose Newham due to its handy location close to customers in Truro and easy access to the road network and the size of the facility.
For Primrose Farm it all started on the edge of Redruth, where the Lugg family – Sally, husband Bill and their three children Rachael, Abi and Josh - perfected their approach to rearing traditional breeds slowly and at low densities, with plenty of time spent outdoors enjoying a natural diet to encourage gradual growth.
These days Primrose Herd also sources pigs from other non-intensive, outdoor-reared farming and smallholding set-ups across Cornwall, and had outgrown its own small processing facility on the farm.
Now the butchery in Newham will be the hub of the operation allowing Sally and her team, which includes experienced head butcher Jake Gregory, to continue to meet the demand from their discerning hospitality customers and ethical food lovers.
Sally explained: “We’re increasingly being sought-out by consumers who eat less meat and opt for non-intensive, outdoor-reared pork for their occasional weekend joint, knowing that it will be of the highest quality and provenance.
"Consumers are more aware of where their meat comes from, and what the ethical and environmental implications of that are.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here