WITH the questionable sources of the nation’s meat making national headlines recently, more people are looking closer to home for their produce.

And one farming family who know exactly where the food they produce comes from is the Betneys of Broom Mill.

Matthew and Tracy Betney bought the farm near West Auckland, County Durham, 19 years ago and they pride themselves completing inhouse as much of the process of taking food from field to fork as they can.

They are especially renowned for their pork – particularly bacon and gammon, and, as well as the usual array of cures (albeit with Broom Mill’s own twists), they also produce more continental recipes such as chorizos, salamis and Parma-style hams which they learned from professional butchers in Italy.

The Betneys’ bacon is a past winner of a Great Taste Award presented by the Guild of Fine Food.

The farm has 80 breeding sows and 150 head of cattle and the couple also grow their own cereals to provide feed for their animals, as well as running the shop and cafe.

The animals are reared on the farm between the River Gaunless and A688 and the meat is processed at the farm before being sold in the Betneys’ shop or by three other retailers in the region.

The only part of the production process not performed at Broom Mill is the slaughter, which takes place five miles away at Witton-le- Wear which, by being so close, reduces the stress caused to the animals.

With two new supermarkets on their doorstep, Mr Betney said it is more important than ever that people realise what a farm shop offers.

He said: “The whole ethos of Broom Mill Farm is to provide customers with traditionally- prepared cuts of meat and meat products, second-to-none in taste and quality.

“All our produce has full traceability, which means that we grow and produce our own animal feeds, and breed and rear our own livestock.

“There is this concept that farm shops are more expensive than supermarkets and while there are some like that, many are actually cheaper.”