What's on your team's Christmas list?
I think I’ve possibly heard the oddest, but most foodie, Christmas request from a team over this weekend. The team of builders from Poland who work for a friend are not having a Christmas bonus, but are having a whole pig. A dead pig, but a whole one, which apparently will be converted into a variety of dishes. They have built their own smoker, and there will be sausages heading back to the boss at some point.
Finding a whole pig is relatively straightforward apparently, theirs will come from the Crossroads Farm Shop at Eastwell. Also in Leicestershire, try The Number One Pig Place, where you can buy a whole pig in installments, getting updates on how your pig is fattening up along the way. If you’re not the sentimental type, you can even go and visit the pig during its short but happy lifetime.
Not sure you’re up to a full pig? Well, Huntsham Farm will do you a half or quarter box of a Middle White, giving you shoulder, chump fillet, leg, chops, liver and sausages. If you don’t have Polish neighbours who you can barter with for homemade kabanos, then Asda always seems to have them, along with a whole heap of other Polish specialities.
If you’ve got the space, I guess you could keep your own pigs. I always think they are fabulous animals, highly intelligent, and if we had space I would have some. If you need some advice, you could start with a book, but you would be better chatting up a local farmer or breeder I would think. And if you’ve got children then you should buy them All Pigs Are Beautiful. Whether or not you want to keep pigs, buy your children this book, it’s fabulous.
So, if your team want a pig, there’s some ideas for you. I have to say, I think there won’t be many teams that follow suit! Some may go for the cash, or perhaps just a Christmas pudding!
Fabulous photo of a prize winning pig by The Pug Father on Flickr.
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