Running a third-generation family brand comes with a unique kind of responsibility. At Porky Whites, we’ve always believed that great sausages start with great ingredients, and that belief guides every decision we make, even as the retail landscape continues to evolve around us.
Supermarkets are under their own pressures, and that naturally filters through to suppliers. Price points shift, promotions come and go, and the category keeps reinventing itself. Rather than seeing this as a battle, we view it as part of working within a fast-moving food industry. Still, it has encouraged us to think carefully about where our products sit and how we can best maintain the standards that matter to us.
Why Wholesale Has Become a Bigger Part of Our Strategy
In recent years, we’ve found that wholesale channels offer a helpful balance allowing us to maintain consistency in our recipe without needing to constantly adjust to promotional cycles. Promotions definitely have a role in the market, but they can sometimes blur the true value of a product, and we’ve learned how important it is to keep our pricing aligned with the quality we put in and that we're 'worth every penny'.
Being Open About Sourcing
We’ve always aimed to be transparent about how and where we source our meat. We use trusted UK and EU suppliers that always meets the welfare standards we believe in. For us, high welfare is about strong relationships with suppliers, consistent oversight, and making practical choices that ensure both quality and responsibility. Labels and certifications can be helpful, but we also trust in honest communication and long-term sourcing partnerships.
How the Category Has Shifted
The growth of own-label ranges has changed the dynamics of the sausage category. It’s pushed quality forward in some areas and reshaped expectations in others. Through these shifts, we’ve held onto a simple principle: we won’t alter our core recipe just to meet a target that doesn’t align with our values. That approach has helped preserve the flavour and character people expect when they pick up a pack of Porky Whites.
A Challenging Year and What We’ve Learned
Like many food producers, we’ve felt the pressures of the past year. But staying committed to our standards has strengthened our sense of identity as a brand. Customers appreciate consistency, and we’re proud that our sausages still taste the way they should. It’s shown us that resilience often comes from sticking to your roots, even when the environment is shifting around you.
So what happens when a family brand stays true to what it believes in?
You find ways to adapt without losing yourself. You make thoughtful choices about where you’re sold, how you source, and what you’re willing - or not willing - to change. And ultimately, you keep delivering a product that earns trust not through slogans, but through every bite.
At Porky Whites, that’s the path we’re committed to.
Listen to the full 'A Slice of Bread and Butter' podcast recorded by the Bread and Butter Thing
