Primary school pupils in Portchester get a lesson in sausage making from long-standing family butchers Owton's

Rob and Billy Owton visited Wicor Primary School earlier this month to show the pupils how to make apple and sage sausage, using the school’s homegrown ingredients.

The children were taken though every stage from mincing, mixing, and forming, and were wowed by Billy’s impressive linking skills.

The highlight, however, was tasting the freshly made sausages, where it was agreed by all the pupils that they were ‘banging’.

Assistant headteacher, Alison Nash said the school’s philosophy is to instil in their pupils with a love and knowledge of the environment, in particular where their food comes from.

She said: ‘We don’t shy away from the truth, be it where food comes from or what work is needed to fix the environment. Our children are the future, and they are the ones that will need to fix our mistakes.’

Managing director and butcher Billy said he enjoyed giving the lesson.

He said: ‘The synergy between Owton’s and the Wicor school is amazing. I have always strived to ensure that the meat we use is as locally sourced, with the highest welfare standards as possible, which really fits with the school ethos of low food miles and seasonality. It really is a highpoint for me to visit the school.’

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Farming has been in the Owton family for more than 750 years through Chalcroft Farm with the earliest known records dating back to 1257.

Rob Owton’s father traded cattle and wholesale meat to trade in the 1920s. In the 1960s Rob was faced with the difficult decision between farming and butchery.

He chose to work with his father in his wholesale meat business.

Owton’s Traditional Family Butchers was founded in 1976 and now has five farm shops, the original at Chalcroft Farm and others at Garsons in Titchfield, Kimbridge, Country Market Bordon and Rosebourne near Andover.

It employs more than 130 people and has more than 1,000 trade customers, as well as operating a home delivery service.

Go to owtons.com for more.