Processing high-quality outdoor bred pork, Buitelaar Group expands into the pig industry
In line with continued strong growth across the Group, Monday, 20th March, 2023, saw Buitelaar’s processing operations at Woodhead Bros. extend to the pork line, with the first weeks kill of 200 Hampshire pigs processed for the ‘high end retail and food service.
Having since increased to 400 pigs a week by July, Buitelaar have partnered with family farmers, the Blanchard’s to deliver premium outdoor-bred pork, expertly reared and skilfully processed and prepared.
As a leader in the food industry, renowned for higher animal welfare and passionate for supporting the family farm, the move into pig processing has been a long-term goal of the family owned and run Buitelaar Group.
Well aligned with our values, it was Blanchard Farm’s long-standing dedication and commitment to pig production, from breeding and nursery to finishing, which solidified the partnership opportunity between supplier and processor.
Producing more than 21,000 outdoor-bred pigs annually, Blanchard Farm runs a 900 outdoor breeding sow operation with a focus on animal welfare and sustainability. Brothers’, James, Giles and Edward and father, Tim Blanchard, all play key roles in the mixed pig and arable enterprise, based in Oxfordshire.
Employing a team of 12 across both farm areas, the family work to create circular systems, producing 90% of their own feed, using neighbouring farms to top up, all of which is milled onsite. The team incorporate all the farmyard manure back into the arable land, which, in turn, produces straw for the pigs.
In addition, the family are focused on encouraging biodiversity across the farm, through extensive tree planting and maintaining over 100 acres of wildlife areas, which include field margins, pollen and nectar mixes, beetle banks and wild bird seed mixes.
In line with Buitelaar’s continued growth, the pig production is set to increase to 600 pigs per week in September 2023.
If you are interested in our pork, please get in touch below.
