Why we sell our pork to you directly from the farm

Our decision to sell our homegrown pork direct to you the customer came about 20 years ago, in 1999. 

Puddledub Pork and the Fifeshire Bacon Company was established by Tom Mitchell and his sister Camilla in 1999.

In 1997/98 the UK pig industry ran into stormy waters when Sterling became strong and made imported pork very cheap. This drove prices down to way below production cost and in short nearly bankrupted the Mitchell’s farm.

However Tom and Camilla both felt that the correct way forward was not to “sell up” as everyone seemed to recommend, but to try and turn their situation to an advantage, so they down-sized the pig herd and became curers and retailers of pork and so Puddledub Pork and Fifeshire bacon Co Ltd was born.

How our business began

Farmers Markets

Farmers markets have been instrinsic to the growth and success of Puddledub. Tom and Camilla's decision in 1999 to sell their homegrown pork and bacon directly to customers coincided with the advent of Scottish Farmers’ Markets and a consumer movement away from Supermarkets towards local food. 

Tom was heavily involved in setting up Fife Farmers Markets and is still chairman today, helping develop and sustain weekly farmers markets across Fife. Not only did the farmers markets offer an opportunity to sell their produce but also to get instant customer feedback. Tom and Camilla could see the difference between pork produced at their smaller scale was tangibly different to that produced on a commercial scale.

Puddledub still attend Farmers Markets across Scotland. Find out where we'll be this Saturday morning.

The Puddledub Taste

Since 1999 we have slowly built a reputation as one of Scotland’s finest Bacon and Pork Producers. Puddledub is one of the few producers, remaining in the UK, that really does offer pork from ‘farm to fork’.

Genuine provenance is a key part of our vertically integrated business.

Unlike other butchers, Puddledub looks after every part of the supply chain from breeding and rearing of the pigs, to the making of the products, to the delivery, and retailing of the products. This ensures that Puddledub products can and are renowned for their taste. Shop now.

From Farm to Fork

Our hand-reared pork comes from Large white-Duroc Pigs. We have a dedicated and loyal team who take time and care in what they do, to not only offer delicious products but traceability and excellent customer service. We don’t believe in cutting corners. We never have. We make our pork how our ancestors have for generations; with time and care, producing pork that can be remembered for its flavour and superb taste.

We believe knowing where your food comes from is important and that's why we offer a home delivery service.

Sustainable Farming

Our Philosophy is simple. Each step from the breeding of our home grown pigs to the butchering and preparation of our products is thoughtfully done with care from conception to consumption.

All of our pigs are bred and reared at Clentrie, fed on barley and bedded on loose straw, both grown in the surrounding fields. Our animal’s health and wellbeing are of utmost importance to us.

Hand-made using traditional methods and recipes

We believe produce with low food miles that hasn’t been shipped half way around the world is tastier. Read more about our hand cut bacon and traditionally hand linked sausages.

All of our Pork is hung for up to 10 days which allows the flavour to develop fully and help us produce truly marvellous pork to be enjoyed. Our team of Scottish Craft Butchers have over 160 years experience between them.

We use traditional methods to make our dry cured bacon, mild cured hams and pork sausages, by hand, with real ingredients and skills that have been practised for centuries. We are immensely proud of all our products and know you will love them too.