[bucketman]

Hi all
 with what is going on here we may have access to land that I think is ok for pigs. But before we get into it were looking at costs. The thing is I read the article and when it says if you want to sell or give it to a third party if you butcher it your self there's a load off different rules. does this stand if les cooks it and sell's it as part of a meal. Also does it stand for sheep as well. As a few crofters have asked us if we want a hole Lamb

[Fowgill Farm]

I believe you are in Scotland so the best thing to do is speak to your local environmental health, saying you want to raise your own meat to make dishes to sell in your pub, they'll be able to tell you what hoops you need to jump thro. I personally don't see it being any different to farmers rearing stock to sell thro their farm shops but best to check it out with the powers that be first.
Mandy
 

[cleopatra]

im presuming you have a catering kitchen which is approved as a food premises, so all you would need are the pigs slaughtered and brought back to the kitchen under chilled conditions.
if you home slaughter then you cant sell the meat.
when we sold pork it was professionally butchered and plastic wrapped and the EH man was happy with polystrene boxes and icepacks in the back of the van to keep the meat clean and cold on the way home from the butchers/cutting plant - so we could sell it from the freezer.i was imagining him insisting on refridgerated vans etc but he was happy with icepacks aslong as you recorded the temperatures etc.
 if you are wanting to butcher it yourself - it is easy so give it a try - then your problem lies with getting the split carcusses home. they would have to be chilled and wrapped in some way if you are not getting them brought home in a chilled meat wagon.
what you could do i ask for them to be split at abattoir then delivered straight to you or via a butcher who may deliver to the inn.
speak to the EH man cos they are helpful - mine was anyway - and look at the "food safety" council websites for extra info etc.
its not that difficult, having a proper food premises kitchen, like you guys, is great cos you can make all your own sausages etc with no bother. lucky you x its the crofters who want to do it that have to jump thru the hoops.

one thing - unfortunately its probably cheaper or more profitable to buy pork in than raise it yourself to sell. butcher usually sell whole/half pigs - so you could practise until your porkers are ready to go.
 

[bucketman]

Thanks for the info and idea's. The wife want's to get all the food local as poss. The whole pig thing is in the future. We moved up here to run a pub that sold food something we had not done in the past. So a lot to learn. Then the people who owned the motel next door sold up and the guy who bought it just wants 8 acres of land for a house. So asked us to run the motel more to learn. So will see how we get on for now.