The only way to save the bacon of the rare
Berkshire pig is to turn more of the beasts into rashers,
the PG Wodehouse Society says.
The breed's numbers include the prizewinning sow Empress of
Blandings, the object of Lord Emsworth's affections in
several Wodehouse novels.
The pig's future can be assured, the society says, only if
people can be persuaded to embrace what has become known as
the Emsworth Paradox – eat more of them.
It is thought that there are only about 400 Berkshires left
in Britain and they are considered vulnerable by the Rare
Breeds Survival Trust.
"The Emsworth Paradox is the only way to guarantee that
there will be a Berkshire pig available when our
grandchildren feel the need to scratch a broad back with a
pensive stick," Hilary Bruce, chairman of the PG
Wodehouse Society, said. The society hopes to boost demand
for Berkshires and thereby encourage more farmers to rear
them. At present they are bred on only 20 farms.
The Berkshire's decline is largely attributed to the Howitt
report, produced by the government in the 1950s, which
recommended that British farmers should focus on just three
breeds of pig – the British Landrace, the Large White and
the Welsh – to increase the productivity of pig farming.
The strategy was largely successful but resulted in a
decline in the number of Britain's rarer breeds.
In her 1861 cookery book, Mrs Beeton describes the meat of
the Berkshire as having "a very fine texture, which gives
it that melt-in-the-mouth quality". The pig, say its
supporters, has many other fine attributes in addition to
its meat. Vicki Mills, vice-chairman of the Berkshire Pig
Breeders Club, believes that Berkshires have a "certain
confidence about them", likening them to "the sort of
child who walks into a room and expects to be liked by
everyone".
How to Cook:
Maggie Todd, who keeps Britain's largest herd of Berkshires,
at Smalliconbe Farm, near Honiton, Devon, says: "To get
the best out of a joint of Berkshire, dry the rind of a leg
or loin of pork with kitchen towel, score it and rub in some
Maldon salt and fresh rosemary. Roast the joint fat side up
on a bed of onions on a trivet or in a roasting tray in a
medium oven for 1 hr to 11/2 hr. The crackling should be
really hard and crunchy."
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* *
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The charms of the Berkshire were certainly
evident to Lord Emsworth. "The Empress was a great solace
to him" Mrs Bruce said. "Whenever Lord Emsworth's sister and
his sons were giving him a hard time he would retire to the
pigsty and drape himself bonelessly over the fence to listen
to the Empress eating."
The Empress, who repaid Lord Emsworth's efforts by winning
the Fat Pig Prize at the Shropshire Agricultural Show three
times, was described by Wodehouse as "a captive balloon
with ears and a tail; as nearly circular as a pig can be
without bursting".
Mrs Mills said: "We wouldn't want them quite as fat as
that these days.
"We want the succulence and the creaminess for good
crackling, but if you wheeled the Empress into a show ring
now she would probably be regarded as too big. Fat is just
not fashionable – witness the fact that we no longer have
fat-stock shows at meat markets."
Related:
P G Wodehouse Society
Radio 4 Today Programme
Interview (caution: 2.3Mb!)
P G Wodehouse Society Backs the
Berkshire
The P G Wodehouse Society (UK) was
formed in 1997 and has over 1000 members. The Society
produces a quarterly 24 page journal for members,
Wooster Sauce, holds regular meetings and events,
has a cricket team, The Gold Bats, and is allied
to Wodehouse Societies across the world. Membership is
£15 pa.
For further information contact:
Hilary Bruce, Chairman 020 7286 0211
hilarybruce@ntlworld.com
Tony Ring, Editor, Wooster Sauce 01494 864848
tring@sauce34.freeserve.co.uk
