Owner of Stonebridge Cottage Farm urges NI chefs to 'visit the farm and taste the products'

Pedigree pig farmer Robbie Neill of Stonebridge Cottage Farm in Crossgar is aiming to build on the success of his dry-cured gammon and pork products with local shoppers by expanding his small business to attract the attention of chefs across Northern Ireland.

Already a supplier to top chef Jim Mulholland, owner of the highly regarded 14 Georgian House Restaurant in nearby Comber, Robbie, who farms a select herd of 120 pedigree pigs, is ready to welcome other chefs to the small holding for briefings about the business and his unique feeding regime for his free-range animals.

Mulholland is an enthusiastic supporter of premium local produce.

“I am open to chefs coming to visit our farm and to taste our products. They’ll be very welcome to see for themselves how we rear the pigs outdoor and our commitment to sustainability, traceability and heritage,” Robbie says.

“Our herd is based on rare breeds such as Oxford Sandy and Saddleback, providing products for our own small shop, other local farm shops, butchers and some chefs."

The multi-award Lisdergan butchery operation at Fintona is another customer. His small farm shop also stocks other quality produce from local suppliers such as Dexter beef, free-range eggs, heather honey and potatoes.

Shortlisted in last year’s British Pig Association’s category award for Best Pedigree Pig Producer of the Year, Robbie’s standing in the industry is clearly spreading beyond Northern Ireland. He has ambitious plans for the farm business, which also rears pedigree sheep, over the next few years including strengthening the herd with new rare pig bloodlines not currently reared here.

Robbie continues: “I am dedicated to breeding the best pigs that I can, producing the most succulent meat with an outstanding flavour from the unique feeding regime I’ve also created to suit my type of farming. The diet is all important especially for rare breed farming.”

The herd enjoys a remarkable high-protein and natural diet developed by Robbie, who farms on a part-time basis – his day-job is as part of an elite rescue unit in Belfast within the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

As well as the usual minerals in the feed, the pigs enjoy whey curd waste from Mike’s Fancy Cheese in Newtownards, an artisan producer of the award-winning Young Buck premium blue cheese, as well as spent grain from craft brewer Bullhouse Brewery in Belfast and vegetables from Willowbrook Foods in Killinchy.

“I’ve always been interested in conservation and sustainability and decided to use these waste products from other food manufacturers because they are rich in protein and nutrients which enhance the flavour of the meats,” he explains.

Robbie’s commitment to sustainability and recycling comes from growing up on the family beef and sheep farm, now run by brother Johnny, and located just down the Derryboye Road from his own small holding.

“I loved working with cattle and especially Suffolk pedigree sheep on the farm,” he remembers.

Suffolks are also now an integral part of his successful business with hardy North Cheviots.

While he subsequently developed a career in the Fire Service, Robbie maintained an interest in the family farm and decided to set up his own small holding for outdoor rearing of pedigree pigs.

“It seemed to me that no-one was doing much here in terms of niche products from pedigree pigs,” he says. “So, I did a bit of market research and talked to a number of knowledgeable people in the food industry here. There was overwhelming support for small batch pork products,” he adds.

Robbie began to look at ways of rearing pigs outdoor in line with his passion for recycling. He farms with wife Louise. They have three young children.

He now runs a herd of around 140 rare breed pigs and 40 sheep on 45 acres and also has a role on the family farm on his off-duty days. “We are building the business steadily at our own pace,” he continues. “Our focus is on high quality niche products and not on volume. There’ll be no compromise on quality. Quality and taste are immensely important and so we aren’t rushing things. It’s one step at a time. We are, after all, a small business that’s started making our authentic products available to the public.

“We’ve been encouraged by the market trend in favour of fully traceable meats and the interest among consumers on how food products are made and the people producing them. Our business is built on the pillars of quality, local, integrity and authenticity."