With the recent launch of our 20 / 21 Retail & Deli Brochure, we’ve added more of the best British artisan cheese & charcuterie producers to our listings, responding to the continued demand for high quality, great tasting food with provenance.
We spoke to David Richards, Technical & Sales Director at Capreolus, about the story behind their delicious range, tips on the best ways to serve their charcuterie and more…!
Tell us a brief history of the company
My wife Karen and I started the business in 2009. I had been working for a nanotechnology company which went bust shortly before the banking crisis and it coincided with me turning 50. Nobody wanted to employ a 50-year old sales director, so after 18 months working as a labourer on a building site (I was called ‘Posh Dave’) Karen suggested turning my hobby of curing meat into a business. Now we produce a wide range of award-winning charcuterie (20 Stars at the Great Taste Awards 2019!).
Why is your charcuterie special?
I can give you all the normal answers like ‘we use the best meat available’, or ‘our recipes are completely individual’ or other such answers – everyone says that. But at the end of the day I think that it is down to a whole range of things: yes, we do use the best meat that we can find, but we also use the best spices and we grind them fresh for each recipe because when they are freshly ground the flavours and aromas are SO much better. We also ferment all of our air-dried meats which very few other producers do – it’s an extra step that takes time but it makes so much difference to the final product: making the fat feel silky in the mouth (like melting chocolate!), keeping the air-dried product soft and not dry. But I think that what really makes the product special is the care that my small team take in making them. Robert, Aaron, and Kirsty are as proud of our products as Karen and me.
Do you have any tips for how to serve your charcuterie products?
ALWAYS serve charcuterie at room temperature. It’s much easier to separate the slices when the meat is at room temperature – and it tastes so much better. If it’s too cold, you lose so much of the flavour.
With the Smoked Duck try serving it with fruit – it goes so well with a fine English pear or ripe mango. The Smoked Mutton is fantastic when you pair it with a sharp apple like a Granny Smith.
If you weren’t in your current role, what you like to do instead
I’d be retired! I have so many things that I would love to do but simply don’t have the time. I used to be a very good Target Rifle shooter but do not have the time to practice; I would love to do more deer stalking – just watching them is good enough! I gave up fishing years ago but would love to take it up again. Oh, and I would love to take my wife to all the countries I have visited (both for work and shooting) but left her behind to look after the kids
What is your favourite product in your range?
That is an impossible question. Every piece of charcuterie matures differently and every now and again we find a piece (doesn’t matter what it is) that just sings and that is my favourite – until the next time!
Where is your favourite place to visit?
France – I love the food and wine; it’s not ‘too foreign’ so I don’t feel uncomfortable; the markets…..Oh, the markets!
If you had to eat just one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
FISH!
The full Capreolus range includes Dorset Coppa, Cold Smoked Mutton, Dorset Air Dried Pork Loin, Rosette Salami and Smoked Duck Breast. Full information can be found on page 37 of our 20 / 21 Retail & Deli Brochure.
