Bringing Home the Bacon….

Todenham Manor Farm cleans up at the Great Taste Awards by Irayne Paikin, Owner of Todenham Manor Farm

Following Todenham Manor Farm’s phenomenal success at this year’s Great Taste Awards, where they picked up 13 stars for their high-welfare produce, we catch up with the owner of the Farm, Irayne Paikin to find out how it all began…

“As a Jewish girl from North London, I admit, I’m not the likeliest of pig farmers, but I’ve always had a passion for food and cooking, so when the opportunity arose to keep pigs, I got stuck right in. But I never dreamed it would become such a success story.

“In 2005 the husband and I bought a dilapidated farm house in the Cotswolds on the Oxfordshire borders in Moreton-In-Marsh, our very own piece of ‘little England’, which came with several acres of farmland. I read in a magazine about pigs being kept in woodland, allowed to roam free to snuffle, and following renovations of the house, I thought, well that’s a good idea – why not?

“I started with four pigs, but I made the foolish mistake of naming them. The day that ‘Davy’ ended up on my plate as sausages, I made the decision never to name them again.

“I was completely clueless when it came to farming, but I was keen to be as hands on as possible. All of the sausage recipes are my own formulation and the farm’s fantastic team of butchers have taught me everything there is to know about knife skills – meaning I can tie sausages and even butcher a mean steak!”

“For me, ‘the farm to fork’ process and the welfare of the animals is at the heart of everything we do and is the pillar on which the Farm stands. We built an on-site butchery and use an abattoir situated just three miles away to ensure full-traceability across the food-chain, as well as cause the animals minimal stress.

Our rare breed Middle-White’s, Old-Spots and Saddleback’s have generous pens to roam in, surrounded by apple trees, and our distinctive South Devon cows and Aberdeen Angus graze in open fields throughout the summer. During the wetter winter months, they have roomy barns to settle in – which I had to fight the local planning authority to get! I was adamant that the animals would have a comfortable, happy life.”

As the orders came in, the farm grew. We now have over 800 cattle and pigs, and 1000 acres of land. A four-strong team man the butchery, all equipped with expert nose-to-tail cutting skills, meaning we can offer our customers a truly bespoke service. Our online sales are growing every month and Michelin-starred chefs now want us on their menus – we can’t quite believe it. One highlight was meeting Tom Aikens after he personally selected our produce for his prestigious Soho Farmhouse menu.

Then came The Great Taste Awards, hailed as the ‘Oscars’ in the foodie world, and after months of anxious nail-biting, awaiting the results, we were overjoyed to pick up 13 stars. Amongst the awards, we received two stars for our 28 Day Aged Pedigree Sirloin Steak and two stars for our Middle White Shoulder of Pork. It’s a huge compliment to receive the accolades.

Our next focus is to just keep improving on everything we do. We recently invested in an ageing cabinet with a specialist humidity controlled chiller for our beef to hang in for a minimum of 28-days, enabling it to achieve the best flavour profile possible. Next year, I have my eyes on the Great Taste’s three stars!

I suppose we just want to be the best we can be, whilst ensuring maximum respect for our animals.

www.todenhammanorfarm.co.uk