Meeting 9th February 2011 Speaker Tracy Mackness
The Giggly Pig Company Romford I
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freely admit that I didn’t know what to expect from
a talk about “pigs & pork products” but have to say, like all my fellow Rotarians I was very pleasantly sur- prised! Not only did we learn much about pig farm- ing but also were privileged
to share a story of great determination in the face of tremendous odds and how with suffi- cient drive anything is possible.
ur speaker, Tracy, should be on the stage! Not only is she hugely entertaining but
everything is delivered with humour and enthu- siasm rarely seen today.
racy’s story began with a disturbed child- hood, a seriously fragmented home life,
cursory attendance culminating in leaving school prematurely with no qualifications. Tra- cy acknowledges her mistakes as she drifted into a life of crime culminating in a severe pris- on sentence of 10 years for drug related offenc- es.
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as anyone ever heard the phrase “prison made me?” Tracy freely admits this was
the case. She decided to use her incarceration to improve her lot and attended no less that 60 training courses whilst in prison. After some years and in order to get moved to an “open prison” Tracy was economical with the truth about her farming experience, this being con- fined to helping her father on a stall in Romford Market! However, it worked and she was trans- ferred to an agricultural prison where she was tasked to look after animals! Her fictitious ex- perience did not help when on the first day she was confronted by Rodney the dominant boar on the farm! Bypassing this huge beast Tracy encountered the “Saddlebacks” and, in her words, it was love at first sight. Having tried marriage twice, she decided pigs were more re- liable and she set about learning everything possible about pig farming, breeding and far- rowing and latterly, butchery and sausage mak- ing. And talk about grit and determination!
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n her release Tracy em- barked on building herself
an entirely new life which has been remarkably successful. Not only is she now an award winning breeder but also one of the most respected “pig experts” in the UK. Not satisfied with this, Tracy purchased a butchers business and food processing operation which not only serves her direct customers, but many retail outlets and Farmers Markets in the South of England.
racy’s fame has travelled far and she has featured not only in magazines and radio
but also as a contributor to several national tele- vision programmes. Her extensive knowledge of the British Saddleback Pig is in great demand – a long way from her first encounter with the breed.
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nyone present on Thursday will not be surprised. She is a human dynamo and it
is quite clear that her determination will take her anywhere. We Rotarians were very heart- ened to hear that the support and training she received at “Her Majesty’s Pleasure” was great- ly appreciated and recognised as invaluable. Perhaps more importantly, it was instrumental in setting Tracy on her path to commercial suc- cess. Her touching story would be the envy of many persons with a more privileged start.
he Giggly Pig Company specialises in all pig products notably, pork joints, home
cured bacon and BBQ specialities. The compa- ny also offers “Hog Roasts” and similar social supportive activities. Her talk ended with the handing round of samples of her extensive range of sausages. Even the author could not manage all 60 different varieties but I made a valiant effort – finally defeated by the Wow- Wow!
Story supplied by Rtn David Fell 18
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