The Real Cure FEATURE IN Country Living Magazine as a “Salami Army”
Meet the self-taught makers sparking a quiet revolution in British charcuterie.
We’re incredibly proud to share that Country Living Magazine has featured The Real Cure and it’s “Salami Army”.
Described as “self-taught makers sparking a quiet revolution in British charcuterie from their family farm in Dorset” The Real Cure charcuterie_pdf_s…, the feature traces our journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of the UK’s most recognised and award-winning charcuterie brands.
From a Fridge in South London
While most artisan food businesses start small, few begin life in a fridge in a South London garden. But that’s exactly where James and Lucy started experimenting with venison salami more than a decade ago.
Living in a flat in Camberwell, charcuterie began as a hobby. Fascinated by fermentation, brewing and slow processes, James devoured every book and online forum he could find. Charcuterie was the craft that stuck.
Weekend batches were made at Hartgrove Farm in Dorset, then sold at farmers’ markets before heading back to London jobs in food PR and retail. A tiny smoker. A tabletop sausage stuffer. A double-door fridge as a drying room. It was humble, hands-on and entirely self-taught.
Building Something Bold in Dorset
In 2014, the move was made permanently to Dorset to diversify James’s family farm at Hartgrove near Shaftesbury. What was once a small barn conversion is now home to two smokehouses and multiple ageing rooms, where meats are cured slowly and traditionally — Dorset Bresaola ageing for up to seven months, salamis around 16 weeks.
Today, The Real Cure employs a team of 12 in this deeply rural corner of Dorset — something James and Lucy say they are immensely proud of.
Consistency, they explain, is everything. Curing, smoking and ageing demand precision — temperature, humidity, airflow, and even the natural mould cultures that develop in the ageing rooms, contributing to a unique Dorset “terroir”. Early experimentation even included soaking a French saucisson casing to introduce the right mould cultures — a small but pivotal moment in shaping the character of the brand.
Best of British — With a Twist
While inspired by traditional European methods, The Real Cure has firmly carved out its own British identity. Rather than mimic Italian or French styles, James and Lucy focused on local ingredients and bold flavour combinations.
Purbeck cider. Dorset Blue Vinny cheese. Foraged sloes from Dorset hedgerows. Wild venison — an ethical, sustainable meat championed from the very beginning.
“We’re not making anything generic,” James explains in the feature. The aim is distinctive, characterful charcuterie that tastes unmistakably British — yet rooted in traditional craft.
From Farmers’ Markets to the UK’s Finest Tables
Over the past decade, that quiet revolution has gained serious momentum.
The Real Cure now supplies restaurants, delis and farm shops across the UK — including some of the most discerning establishments such as The Newt and Holm in Somerset The Real Cure charcuterie_pdf_s…, alongside a growing nationwide online community of customers.
Recognition has followed. The range has now earned 15 Great Taste Awards The Real Cure charcuterie_pdf_s…, and in 2025 the brand was named Best Charcuterie Brand by The Guild of Fine Food’s Fine Food Digest — a title proudly held for two years running.
Family, Farm and the ‘Lami Shop’
The feature also captures the heart behind the business. Between briefing designers and planning campaigns, Lucy keeps the creative direction moving forward, while James continues trialling and refining flavours in the curing rooms.
Their children, Tabitha and Fred, are already fans — regularly asking to visit the “’lami shop” storeroom. Even Betty the springer-Labrador cross has earned a reputation as chief taster.
Life today feels very different to the early days of late nights and market stalls every weekend. The business has grown into something sustainable — still rooted in family, farm and flavour.
Being recognised by Country Living as part of Britain’s “New Salami Army” is more than a feature — it’s a moment of reflection.
From a fridge in a London garden to Hartgrove’s ageing rooms overlooking the Blackmore Vale, this has always been about patience, persistence and pushing British charcuterie somewhere bold and new.
And the revolution, quietly but confidently, continues.
So what’s ahead? We’re busy developing new flavours (look out for our new collab with The Garlic Farm) and continuing to make charcuterie that is unmistakably British, rooted in the Dorset countryside and made with skill and integrity.
Thank you to The Guild of Fine Food for this accolade and to everyone who supports The Real Cure. Winning Best Charcuterie Brand for the second year running is a milestone we will savour for a long time to come!