The Shropshire-based business is known for its dedication to providing the finest traditionally cured hams, free-range bronze turkeys, and artisanal fine foods. To cope with demand, DukesHill will increase its workforce by 200% over the coming months.
During the peak Christmas period between October and December, DukesHill plans to cure over 15,000 outdoor bred pork legs across a variety of products, including traditionally cured cooked and uncooked hams, bacon, slices of porchetta, ham hock and pork products.
Over forty thousand hams were sold during the festive season last year, 2022, a number the luxury food producer is hoping to exceed for Christmas 2023.
They also expect to distribute two thousand of their specially reared turkeys, tens of thousands of handmade mince pies and over seven thousand of DukesHill’s very own handmade Christmas puddings, as people stock up for the big day.
Last year’s statistics show the nation is opting for more gammon around Christmas time than ever before. Data collected by Kantar shows retailers experienced a 23.6% increase in value of gammon sales and 5.1% uplift by volume year-on-year, of gammon products in the four weeks to Christmas Day 2022.
Mark Gallagher, CEO of DukesHill says, “The months running up to Christmas is the busiest time fir us at DukesHill and right now our dedicated team is working hard to ensure there’s plenty of perfectly cured ham and sweet treats for our customers to have a memorable and most delicious Christmas.
"Ham is one of the nation’s favourite centrepieces over Christmas and it’s no wonder, it’s an incredibly versatile crowd-pleaser that's easy to prepare and absolutely delicious, too. Not to mention the lure of Boxing Day ham, egg and chips! Our Christmas brochures have landed, and we’ve already seen a 35% increase in customers placing their Christmas orders earlier this year.”
Launching this Christmas, DukesHill forecast the star product to be their new Cranberry Glazed Ham with Pork & Cranberry Stuffing - Half ham, RRP £80 (min 2kg), Whole ham, RRP £125. This special edition Christmas ham is generously stuffed with their very own Pork and Cranberry Stuffing.
A DukesHill ham or turkey is a celebration of good farming techniques, which is good news for British farming and industry, as they use only the finest quality outdoor-bred British pork and the most traditional curing methods which can take up to six months to produce.
One of DukesHill’s farmers, Andrew Tomson from Peddars Pigs Ltd, plays a crucial role in helping meet the demand. He said: “As a pig farmer of 45 years, our commitment is to ensure the wellbeing of every pig under our care. I really, firmly believe raising healthy pigs on straw is about providing them with a life of comfort and respect in an environment where they thrive. This produces the best quality pork and we know these animals have lived the best life possible.”
As for the traditional choice of turkey for a Christmas Day feast, DukesHill’s free range bronze turkeys are reared especially for DukesHill in Kent by a highly experienced third-generation turkey-farming family who have been rearing turkeys for forty years. Their turkeys roam freely in grassy paddocks and meadows and are fed a natural cereal-based diet.
Customers can book their deliveries to fill the larder for the festive period or order hampers for loved ones on the website www.dukeshill.co.uk. Early orders are encouraged to guarantee timely delivery and to ensure everyone can savour a delicious Christmas with DukesHill.