With the growing trend for people to tell porkies on their CVs about job qualifications, it's good to hear De Vere's new group executive chef of Village and De Vere Venues, John Woodward, who starts this month, is the real deal when it comes to food provenance.
Kitchen Rat hears that the then executive chef at caterer Baxter & Platts, who is part of De Vere's new executive team charged with putting food at the very heart of what it does, took time out of his busy schedule last autumn to visit a Norwich based co-operative's abattoir and see slaughtering first-hand.
Pigs were the order of the day and batches of 10 to 15 trotted in at a time, before being stunned, hoisted up and having their throats slit in a shower of blood. They were then de-haired and washed, as they were carried through the building on a conveyor.
Apparently Woodward and the chefs in the party took it all in their stride and were amazed at the level of traceability, with each pig having its own "passport". However, getting a little too into it one of the party strayed too close to the conveyor and received a "pork chop" from a flying (past) pig.
Still, no doubt all good experience for Woodward that should ensure his new role is a success rather than something he makes a pig's ear out.