Renaissance pubs yield profit from pigs

Five-site pub company Renaissance has increased profits from selling a variety of dishes using its own reared pigs.

The London-based company bought five Tamworth/Kune Kune piglets for £130 each from Locks Drove Farm in north-west Hampshire, which raised the pigs on Abel and Cole organic vegetables until they were ready to be slaughtered.

The cross breed chosen is ideal for hog roasts and has a "good fat layer" to make the "crispiest crackling in town".

The five pigs — one for each pub — made around 60 meals each, with each pub offering a different dish devised by the chefs and increasing gross profit by 65%.

Dishes included Asian sticky pork salad with honey and ginger, and pig's head and black pudding terrine with piccalilli, but the most popular was the pork belly with crushed Ratte potatoes and salsa verde served at the Stonhouse, Clapham.

"Our customers and chefs were very impressed, particularly with the crackling," said co-owner and director Mark Reynolds. Main courses cost between £9 and £13 with starters priced at around £5.

"They cost £130 to buy and £115 to raise, which is quite expensive, but it's because they are a rare breed," said Reynolds. "The quality can't be beaten.

"The pigs have been so successful that we have already bought five more. We've also added chickens to our herd with a view to producing free-range chicken and eggs for the pubs instead of buying in from suppliers. The next step is having our own cows.

"The ultimate dream is that the majority of meat sold at the pubs will be from the Renaissance smallholding."