A young farmer who is running a thriving rare breeds and meat business in County Down.
Jillian Acheson is the only farmer and producer of wild boar in Northern Ireland. With a business background but an aspiration to work in agriculture, her research led to wild boar farming. She set up a rare breeds and meat company five years ago.
Today she supplies restaurants, hotels and specialty food outlets north and south of the border and has recently added upmarket London department store Fortnum & Mason to her books.
Chef Paul Rankin of Michelin star restaurant Roscoff in Belfast describes the wild boar as,
A superb local product.
Although it is a wild breed, there are many benefits to farming boar. Jillian Acheson explains they require less veterinary attention, and are fed a natural and varied diet, which results in a high quality product,
They’re very hardy. They need very little veterinary assistance... they are quite resilient to disease.
Boar may have been considered a luxury item in the past but its regular appearance on restaurant menus has resulted in a growing demand for it in the home. Gillian Law of the Moyallon Farm Shop explains that people have become more used to wild boar and they have a wide customers for what is a good quality good value meat.
This report for 'Nationwide' was broadcast on 12 May 1999. The reporter is Una Dunne.
