Parsonage Farm: Goodbye & Hello
Good news for Parsonage Farm which is continuing its journey as Parsonage Farm Charcuterie under Dave Watts, chef/patron of nearby The Crown Inn, Upton.
Sarah and John Mills took on Parsonage Farm 20 years ago, building up a very successful charcuterie business which is at the right stage for development, therefore Sarah and John are handing over to Dave to take it forward as Parsonage Farm Charcuterie.
Sarah comments: “Parsonage Farm Charcuterie will be in very safe hands, still remaining an individual, personally run business, ensuring quality, environmentally aware, high welfare local produce. We’ve got to know Dave and admire his passion for food and commitment to using high quality local produce. We feel honoured to know that someone of his calibre wishes to continue our work.
"Over the years we have had enormous fun meeting so many fascinating people and made some great friends and I’m sure we’ll still be around on the event circuit in some form or other, probably helping out other food producers! We’d like to thank everyone who has supported us over the years, we couldn’t have done it without you. We hope you will continue to support Parsonage Farm Charcuterie and enjoy well grown, local, healthy produce."
Dave Watts explains: “I’ll be taking over the reins of this wonderful Great British small business. I run the Crown Inn, just around the corner from Sarah and John. I am a big foodie - it’s my love, my life, my hobby and my career. So, having the chance to continue on from all Sarah and John’s hard work couldn’t be more exciting, but also such a privilege.
“I have enormous passion for ingredients, where they come from, how they are raised, grown and looked after, and this flows into how much I care about what we will be continuing to do with the charcuterie that we will be producing. Currently we won’t be farming our own pigs as Sarah and John did, however we will be buying animals with the same values, care, welfare and passion that go into them. These include Oaktrack, a smallholding owned by Tina and Jim Wells just up the hill towards Charlton Down near Andover.
"This is a team effort; a friend, Paul, will be joining me on this journey. He is just as passionate about how we continue to create and develop the wonderful cured meats that started this journey with Sarah and John. Keep an eye out for tasty updates on our website and Instagram feed (@parsonagefarmcharcuterie). Paul and I look forward to meeting you at markets and events in the near future."
