MEAT-PRODUCING partners from a Somerset farm have received a top award for animal welfare.

Sam Crawford and Jackie Bone, who run the West Country Quality Meat company, have been given a Good Pig Award in recognition of their commitment to meat pig and sow welfare.

The award was given to them by the Compassion in World Farming group which organises the Good Egg and Good Chicken programmes among others.

The standards of welfare and health they set out benefit about 257 million farmyard animals each year.

Mr Crawford said: “When we decided to raise outdoor, free range, native rare breed pigs, our main concern was to make sure we did this ethically, and with the pigs’ welfare as our number one priority.

“We feel that in today’s world of mass produced, intensively farmed meat, this is something that is forgotten by a lot of producers.”

Mr Crawford added customers were welcome to go along to the farm and visit the pigs, to see for themselves the animals content in their paddock at Glebe Farm.

He said: "All our wonderful Oxford Sandy and Black pigs are West Country born and reared, spending their entire life on our smallholding."

"We operate a closed herd policy, which means we breed all our own replacement stock, from our pedigree registered breeding stock.

He added: “Winning this Good Pig Award means everything to us, and makes us proud that as a small young company, our hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

Tracey Jones, director of food business at Compassion in World Farming, said: “It is so great to see West Country Quality Meat making the welfare of their sows and meat pigs a top priority.

“Higher welfare produce isn’t just the responsibility of the large corporations, but something that can be achieved at all levels.”