Who are they?
If you aren’t familiar with them, the Serious Pig is a British based salami company that operates out of Peckham, south London. Founded by George Rice and Jonny Bradshaw in 2009, the pair wanted to come up with a snack that essentially wasn’t full of additives, and would perfectly complement a pint of ale. After a lengthy conversation – as well as the odd libation to get the creative juices flowing, of course! – a very, very Serious Pig was born. Mate, I mean he’s got a monocle ‘n’ everything.
With a loyal following, several awards and strong business partnerships (the founder of Brew Dog, James Wyatt, becoming one of the shareholders to be more exact), I think it’s fair to say the company has gained a lot of notoriety in British food and drink over the last couple of years. They can now be found in many pubs across the UK (including all Brew Dog owned pubs, of course) and can be bought via Borough Box, Ocado, Fortnum & Mason and Whole Foods to name a few.
What’s new?
Last month, Tasting Britain was invited to the opening of their new headquarters / charcuterie bar in Peckham, south London. This follows a successful crowdfunding project in May of last year, where the company raised £126,000 to help contribute to the business’s growth strategy, with the charcuterie being a key part of it.
As well as benefitting from being in the heart of the UK’s craft food scene, Serious Pig HQ also open its doors every Saturday, from 10am – 6pm, for all to enjoy. In collaboration with The Charcuterie Board (a London based Charcuterie company), diners can enjoy a range of cheeses, cured meats, deli snacks, wine and selection of craft beers from breweries like Brew Dog and local Peckham brewery, Brick Brewery.
And what do we think about them?
The Charcuterie Bar itself is great – I mean, it was a pretty compelling proposition to start with, right? Chowing down on top-quality meat and sipping crisp craft ale – SOLD. Anyway, with a friendly atmosphere and some very interesting companies they’re collaborating with (who we probably would have never heard of had Jack and I had not been invited), it does make for an interesting culinary adventure for any food and drink enthusiast. Granted Peckham is quite far south (for London, anyway), but it is worthwhile popping your head through the door if you happen to be in the area.
As for the company, I first heard about The Serious Pig while a group of friends and I were enjoying several pints of alchololz at the Southampton Arms – there is connection between them and the Serious Pig, but my memory fails me. Ahem, Google… Anyway, remembering back to that day and knowing where they are now, it’s nice to see that there is a place for companies founded upon making beautifully crafted products. We look forward to hearing more about them over the next couple of years!