Primrose Herd, a family business which has been supplying the Cornish pork to retail customers and the hospitality trade for over two decades, has expanded to a new site in Newham on the outskirts of Truro.
The large new processing facility, office space and pop-up shop will allow Primrose Herd to keep up with demand as online sales rise with many of Cornwall’s hotels and restaurants offering Primrose Herd pork on their menus.
The expansion has been overseen by Sally Lugg, an award-winning farmer and business leader, who has grown the family operation from just two pigs in 1999 to the nationally-renowned producer of quality pork it is today.
Ms Lugg commented: “There’s a lot of uncertainty and change in farming and food production right now, but our supply chain is short and luckily we’ve got loyal, skilled staff, so we’ve avoided the worst of the recent upheaval.”
She continued: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic, demand continues to grow so it feels like the right time to expand into a new facility. We’re offering a Click & Collect service here in Newham for online orders, and will be opening a pop-up shop in the run-up to Christmas.”
Ms Lugg said they chose Newham due to its location close to customers in Truro and easy access to the road network, and the large facility has everything Primrose Herd needs to help it expand
Primrose Herd also sources pigs from other non-intensive, outdoor-reared farming and smallholding set-ups across Cornwall. The butchery in Newham will be the hub of the operation allowing Ms Lugg and her team, which includes Head Butcher Jake Gregory, to continue to meet the demand from their discerning hospitality customers and ethical food lovers.
She added: “We’re increasingly being sought-out by consumers who eat less meat and opt for non-intensive, outdoor-reared pork for their occasional weekend joint, knowing that it will be of the highest quality and provenance. Consumers are more aware of where their meat comes from, and what the ethical and environmental implications of that are.”
Image Credit: Stewart Girvan
