PIG farm owners in Far Forest took a month’s worth of orders in just an hour as their business appeared on a BBC television show.
Forest Pig charcuterie, based at Bell Farm, featured on Countryfile for an episode about the Ludlow Food Festival, where Forest Pig had a stall.
Business owners Jeremy and Sally Levell showed presenter Ellie Harrison around their site in the Wyre Forest, their woodland- reared, free-range pigs and the process of making a wide range of salami.
Mr Levell said: “It was a great experience for us, the area and the food festival. Five minutes on prime time television would cost millions.
“By the time the show was half an hour in we had already had about 20 orders through the internet, where we do our retail sale. By the time it had finished we had about 50 orders and people are still showing interest at the moment. We have seen a definite increase in our retail side.”
The use of the pigs as a woodland management tool in the Wyre Forest – a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – has been approved by Natural England.
The Forestry Commission designates areas for the pigs to reduce vegetation to restore a natural balance to the woodland floor, aiding natural oak regeneration.
The pigs are moved constantly to ensure their woodland diet is replenished and to prevent damage to the forest.
On the show, Mr Levell explained moving young stock out to the forest made for “a happier pig”.
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