Hebridean Charcuterie from Croft No.9 was started by Brian and Melinda Whitington who are passionate about food provenance, use of wild and free range local foods and sustainability, along with cutting energy and plastic use.

During a romantic trip to Paris at the start of their relationship the couple enjoyed a cornucopia of cured, fermented and artisanal products rekindling their enthusiasm for all things charcuterie; also prompting the question: “What if we could make these products ourselves in the Outer Hebrides?”

The idea quickly grew from a hobby to produce cured and fermented meats for themselves, friends and family to a business idea to offer unique products generated from animals reared or roaming in the Outer Hebrides. Finding happiness with each other as 50-somethings meant the couple now relished the idea of setting up a business to create something unique together.

They converted their garage to a cured-meats kitchen in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and worked on perfecting recipes. Their first product ‘Wild & Free Salami’ was launched at the beginning of 2022.

The crofting (small-holding farming system) has been the lynchpin in helping people in the Outer Hebrides – off the north west coast of Scotland – survive and thrive for over two centuries. Crofters’ pigs, sheep and cows; deer roaming the Islands’ moors and even wild geese which flock to these shores, form the backbone of the charcuterie products.

In a nod to the past – the Norse controlled the Islands from the 9th century until 1266 when the Treaty of Perth returned the Isles to the Scottish crown – ‘Wild & Free Salami’ features on its packaging a Nordic King image inspired by the Lewis Chessmen figures, which were found in Outer Hebrides in 1831 and are thought to date to the late 12th or early 13th century. As we build up our products you will be able to collect the Chessmen set!

We are grateful to the following organisations for their confidence in us, and for providing financial contributions towards our establishment and work, including case studies and public events found on our ‘interesting things’ page.

Scottish Ministers and the European Agriculture Fund for Rural Development; Comhairle nan Eilean Siar & Business Gateway Outer Hebrides Young Entrepreneurs Start-up Scheme for support towards purchasing our initial equipment; and the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar funded COVID-19 Economic Recovery Grant Scheme towards new equipment upgrades. DigitalBoost Development Grant Support for making this website happen. Highlands and Islands Enterprise through Young Company Capital Investment Grant 2 towards purchasing new equipment upgrades.

The Pebble Trust for support towards purchasing new equipment upgrades and for commissioning case studies and seminars about our work on supply chains for local charcuterie, supporting crofting for local food production, not using plastic in packaging and islands of opportunity for food.