Christmas Time, Pie Time.

The countdown for Christmas seems to begin earlier and earlier every year. The prospect of this particular festive season brings with it more uncertainty than ever and on more fronts. Northfield Farm exists in part to champion the small livestock & food producer. We have seen quite a few of these give up the fight during 2009 and yet more remain, almost permanently on the cusp of disaster. What has been especially noticeable has been the number of small-scale pig producers who stopped. Counter-cyclical as ever, this has coincided with an increase in the number of pigs which we keep & breed here at Northfield

I suppose, for us, our perfecting of our Melton Mowbray Pork Pie has been one of the most significant achievements of the year, and with it our membership of the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie Association. In truth, though, there is no such thing as ‘perfecting’ a product and we continue to learn every day. Northfield is possibly the only maker, or if not, one of very few makers, of Melton Mowbray Pork Pies who breeds and rears its own pigs. From the farm we can see the windmill where the flour we use in our pies is milled. All that at only around 6 miles from Melton Mowbray itself.

Amid so much talk about green shoots, it is difficult to predict demand at Christmas. I believe people will still make the effort to treat themselves, but who knows. I would advise you to not leave it to the last moment to put in orders, especially for any of our pies, as they are all either entirely or mainly hand made.

As I have done before when times have been tough, I would ask you to support your independent producer, whether through Northfield or not, as we all need you, the customer, now more than ever.

I managed to spend a little time in Gascony in the early autumn. A busman’s holiday really, visiting one local market after another. What is really evident above all else is the importance attributed to quality and the small independent producer. In the tiny town of Seissan, barely larger than a village really, they have a market hall building so that their precious weekly markets can continue in all weathers. In the smallest of restaurants they will specify the true origin of what is on the menu. In England we still need to decipher codes, read tiny print and generally act like a detective in order to know where our food really comes from.

The great discount consumer fest that Christmas has become tends more & more to forget or ignore why it really happens. I realise that we now have, at Northfield, all the ingredients for a live crib. Ox, Ass & sheep. We lack of course the holy family & in particular the messiah. Who knows though, if you see a bright star shining half way up the hill to Cold Overton, and as you will need to stock up for the festive season anyway, it might just be worth the detour to have a look in our barns, have a hot drink and a bite to eat in our tea room and do a little bit of shopping at the same time

Whatever your beliefs, I hope it proves a time of fun, kindness and love as well as not too little feasting.

Jan McCourt

jan@northfieldfarm.com                                               www.janmccourt.wordpress.com