The Rutland Charcuterie Company

PRODUCER: The Rutland Charcuterie Company, Rutland
PRODUCT: Garlic and Caraway Salami & Dry Cured Braunston Breakfast Bacon
REGION: East and West Midlands
CATEGORY: From the Field (Artisan)

WHAT THEY DO

Nicky and Nick Brake fell in love with charcuterie while running catered chalets in the French Alps. Their realisation that the majority of charcuterie consumed in Britain is imported fuelled the couple’s “real determination to make British charcuterie a genuine alternative to imports from the Continent”. 

Nick gained a diploma with distinction in butchery and charcuterie at the well regarded School of Artisan Food in Nottinghamshire, and with the help of expert butcher Rich Summers, launched The Rutland Charcuterie Company in 2014. Based in the village of Braunston, the business cure and air-dry British high-welfare and free-range pork, duck and beef in a converted outbuilding.

The company’s motto, ‘Multum in parvo’ or ‘Much in little’, celebrates Nick and Nicky’s pride in their Rutland location, England’s smallest county, sourcing ingredients as locally as possible. Promoting the product within the region is important, and the business regularly attends farmers markets and county shows. For Nicky and Nick the motto represents the essence of exceptional charcuterie: the use of high-welfare meats, choice ingredients and traditional skills to produce an artisan product fit to rival those on the Continent.

WHAT THE JUDGES SAID

The judges were agreed that the Rutland Charcuterie Company’s Braunston Breakfast Bacon looked particularly tempting, and were impressed by the company’s efforts to make high a quality air-dried salami that can stand up well in competition with imported goods. Kudos are due for having two shortlisted products. 

VISIT THE WEBSITE:  rutlandcharcuterie.co.uk