NO porkies – this top-of-the-hogs charcuterie farm will feature on hit television show Countryfile this weekend.

Beal's Farm Charcuterie, based in Chailey, welcomed TV cameras to its award-winning operation earlier this month and will appear during Sunday’s episode of the BBC show.

The farm prides itself on its herd of mangalitza and mangalitza-saddleback cross pigs, reared to produce its range of cured meat products.The breed is indigenous to Hungary and known for its curly hair – a trait which makes it resemble a cross between a pig and a sheep.

Phil Beal, owner of Beal's, said: “The Mangalitza is the last pig in existence to sport this unusual and colourful fleece. They are sometimes called ‘wooly pigs’ for good reason and are related to the wild boar.

“The heritage breeds are prized for their well-marbled, flavourful meat, making them perfect for cured and air dried charcuterie products – and that’s what brought the Countryfile cameras to Sussex.”

Beal's Farm Charcuterie has been creating tasty treats for three years and boasts air-dried hams, spalla, coppa and lomo, salamis, pancetta, chorizo, pastrami and other meats.

As well as every day customers, the firm also supplies top restaurants, retail outlets and farm shops across Sussex and London and has scooped awards two years running for its air-dried ham coppa, cooking chorizo and classic salami.

But Mr Beal reckons appearing on Countyfile is right up there with his company’s greatest achievements.He said: “Whenever you’re self-employed, doing everything from first thing in the morning to last night at night, it’s sometimes nice to have a pat on the back.

“But equally I enjoy getting feedback from members of the public too at the farmers market.

“We’ll feature for about nine minutes in Sunday’s episode. It will focus around our story and what we do, plus a segment about a piglet I saved and orphaned. They filmed for about two days and were really professional. It all culminated in a tasting experience, which was good fun.”

Beal's Farm Charcuterie will appear on Countryfile on Sunday at 7pm on BBC One.

Factfile

Mangalitza pigs descend directly from the wild boar and are a rare breed originally bred for lard. Unlike other pigs, the mangalitsa grows a hairy fleece that has drawn comparisons to sheep.

It was developed in the late nineteenth century in Hungary when the Hungarian pig was crossed with wild boar to create a ‘fat pig’ that did not require much hands-on care.

The mangalica is the last pig in existence to sport the unusual fleece, and it was nearly lost to extinction by the 1990s, when fewer than 200 remained.