Gordon's Backyard Farmyard | Food

The F Word - Series 2 Pork for thought

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Date Published:: 07/09/2007

Happy as pigs in shit...

… And that’s exactly what Gordon and his wife aren’t.

With two pigs making a stink in their back garden, who can blame them? But it’s all in the name of education, and entertainment of course. At the end of the last series of the F Word, we said goodbye to the turkeys, and now it’s hello to the two pigs who are currently fattening up in Gordon’s back garden.

Following the success of the turkeys, Gordon and Tana are continuing to teach their kids where their food comes from, with king of pigs Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on hand to give advice. As well as teaching his children where bacon sandwiches come from, the pigs are being reared to feed 50 F Word diners in the last show of the series.

There are eight rare breeds of pig that are native to the UK: Berkshire, British Saddleback, Gloucester Old Spot, Large Black, Middle White, British Lop, Tamworth, and Welsh. All of these are 'at risk' of extinction (except the Gloucestershire Old Spot). After a visit to River Cottage, Gordon chooses the Berkshire breed.

Gordon's pigs

The Berkshire are ideal in the company of children as they are high on personality yet extremely friendly and non-aggressive. They are also hardy and happy to live outdoors. And, most importantly, they produce excellent meat.

Over the next few months we’ll follow Gordon and his family’s pig-rearing experience from building the pen and collecting the pigs, through training and showing them. And of course all good things must come to an end, so we’ll also see their slaughter and preparation for the F Word restaurant.

In the sixth show of the series, we looked at the lives of our free-range pigs compared to the majority of pigs reared for meat, which live in commercial pig farms. You can find out more about the issues involved here: Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (RSPCA