07/09/2026
🧑🌾Message from Farmer Tim:
For the past decade, we have been breeding Oxford Sandy and Black pigs here on our farm, selling the marvellous meat we produce through our on-farm butchery and the Larder Café.
We chose the Oxford Sandy and Black breed for their gentle nature and fantastic characteristics, as well as their ability to produce delicious pork joints for roasting and sausages for our customers.
When we first looked to acquire some Oxford Sandy and Black pigs, we were lucky enough to meet Pat and Pete Colson Oxford Sandy & Black Pig Society. Their knowledge of pig keeping, the breed’s lineage and bloodlines helped us establish our own OSB herd here.
We now proudly have ten registered breeding sows, with the bloodlines of Cynthia, Clare and Iris, and two breeding boars, Trevor and Paul, both from the Jack bloodline.
Through careful breeding and sharing bloodlines, we have worked hard to create a business where the breed can be used to its fullest potential. By using the farm to supply the butchery, and the butchery to supply the café, we have made this traditional breed a viable part of our farm’s economy. In return, we can help keep the Oxford Sandy and Black breed alive and well for the future of UK farming.
Our sows farrow (give birth to piglets) on average once every 10–12 months, with litters of around 9–10 piglets. From each litter, we look to keep males or females that conform to breeding standards, including correct markings and colouring, ears (no pricked ears), underlines (teats in alignment) and a good overall appearance.
Those not kept for breeding are grown on the farm until they are 12–18 months old before being used for the butchery side of the business.
The pigs spend most of their lives outside, growing slowly over the course of the year. They are only brought into the barns during extreme weather, such as excessive heat, extreme cold or prolonged wet spells.
As a traditional breed, the Oxford Sandy and Black does not lend itself particularly well to reaching slaughter weight within six months. We allow up to 10 months of slow growth, only increasing the feed afterwards to add any additional fat required. Through experience, we judge their body shape and size to determine the right time for slaughter.
We use a local abattoir, just 35 minutes from the farm, to dispatch the pigs, minimising stress for the animals. We collect the carcasses the following day, bring them back to the farm’s cutting room to be butchered, and have the meat ready to sell that weekend.
For us, it is about producing a high-quality, traditional product from animals raised slowly and with the care they deserve. From the fields, through our butchery and finally to the customer’s plate, we are proud to follow the whole journey.
It is a way of farming we believe in, allowing us to play our part in protecting the Oxford Sandy and Black for future generations. We are incredibly proud of our herd and what we have built here, and look forward to continuing to breed these wonderful pigs and sharing their fantastic produce with our customers for many years to come.
