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FUW Montgomeryshire members enjoy a wonderful afternoon at Neuadd Fach Baconry[/caption]
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FUW Montgomeryshire county executive officer Emyr Wyn Davies, FUW president Glyn Roberts, Ithyl Brown, FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams and Lynda Brown sample some of the wonderful pork products[/caption]
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In the baconry are Lynda Brown and FUW Montgomeryshire county chairman Mark Williams[/caption]
Often we hear that small family farms are the backbone of rural Wales and that it is down to their grit, determination and passion for Welsh produce that our rural economy is sustained.
A true example of this is the 35acre smallholding Neuadd Fach about a mile outside of the quiet village of Llandinam alongside the A470 in Montgomery.
Home to Lynda and Ithyl Brown, the holding has established itself as a well-known producer of pork products that have been recognised with over 30 Great Taste awards.
Back in 1979 the farm supported a dairy herd and in 1982 sheep were added. Due to financial pressure the couple recognised the need to diversify and in 1986 a brand new building was put up to 'loose house' the new herd of pigs.
Ithyl Brown, a native of Caersws, bought the smallholding in 1963 and Lynda, who was brought up in Uxbridge in Middlesex, came to live at Neuadd Fach with her sons David and Philip, when she married Ithyl in 1979.
Lynda tells of their initial struggles in the 1980s when interest rates were well into the double figures: “We had to pay an incredible amount of interest on the loan we had taken out to establish the pig herd and just keeping up with those payments meant finding over £10,000 a year for interest repayments. I am not sure how we kept the farm going but we persevered knowing that we had a great product to sell. Losing the farm was not an option.”
With the collapse of the pig market in 1998, the couple were losing £10 a pig and were in real danger of losing the farm for sure this time round. A year later a ray of hope was offered in form of an approved bank loan to build the baconry, so that Lynda and Ithyl could process their pigs into Bacon, Gammon and other pork products.
“The baconry was opened in October 1999, by our local MP Lembit Opik. We processed 2 pigs a week to start and employed 2 part-time people. Today we have 5 people working part time for us, and process 10 pigs a week,” Lynda said.
Since then the business has gone from to strength to strength, with 31 Great Taste awards under their belt and a loyal customer base throughout Montgomeryshire.
The couple have won Gold Awards for their products in the Great Taste Awards over the years, culminating in the Best Speciality in Wales for their Back Bacon in 2006 - in fact Neuadd Fach bacon was the best bacon sample out of 129 entries nationwide in that year.
“We aim to provide the best tasting products by attention to detail. Our pigs are fed a ration that is mixed on the farm ensuring a superb carcass to start with.
“Our carcasses are hung for 5 days before they are processed and we measure the cure for our bacon and gammon very accurately to ensure a consistent product.
“Our curing takes 10 days, and then we slice and package very carefully to ensure the product looks good. The proof of our care is in the eating. The 'Taste' is paramount to us, and many people say that once you taste our bacon you don't want anyone else's. We weren’t butchers to start with but we learned our way and as they say the proof is in the pudding now,” Lynda added.
“Walking around the smallholding you can’t miss the shear passion and determination Lynda and Ithyl bring to the table in everything they do and you can taste that in their produce. It is a fantastic business and they are a credit to the farming community. I would like to thank them for showing us around the business and for letting us have a taste of their award winning produce,” said FUW president Glyn Roberts following a recent visit to the baconry.
Neuadd Fach products can be purchased at Abermule Post Office & Stores, Beguildy Post Office & Stores, Berriew Spar Shop& Post Office, Caersws Spar Shop, Carno Spar shop & Post Office, Cemmaes Road Post Office & Stores, Chirbury Post Office & Stores, Churchstoke, Harry Tuffins, Guilsfield, Derwen Farm Shop, Kerry Post Office & Stores, Knighton, Harry Tuffins, Llanbadarn Fynydd Village Community Shop, Llandrinio- Lewis's Post Office, Stores & Garage, Llangurig Post Office & Stores, Llanidloes, 1. Darren Tonks Fruit & Veg 2. Bradleys Garage Shop; Machynlleth, Harry Tuffins, Montgomery , Castle Kitchens, Newtown, Andy & Adam’s village shop in Corris, Staylittle Shop and Tregynon Post Office & Stores.
The couple also sell their produce at Bishop's Castle Farmers Market, via their website www.baconry.co.uk and by telephone order on 01686 688734.