Weybridge charcuterie company Tempus Foods, owned by Masterchef finalists Tom Whitaker and Dhruv Baker, is merging its business with South Devon-based charcuterie and smoked meat brand Rare & Pasture to expand production and sales of both award-winning products.
The merged business will continue to trade under both the Tempus Foods and Rare & Pasture brands, with sales and distribution being led from the Tempus location in Weybridge, Surrey, and production and packing shared between the two sites.
Tom and Dhruv got to know one another after both appearing on the BBC series Masterchef UK and set up Tempus Foods together in 2017. They are committed to utilising the food chain responsibly and using their technical knowledge and passion for flavour to create exceptional-tasting products.
The Tempus Foods range includes salamis and whole muscle products such as King Peter Ham, Smoked Coppa and Bresaola.
Rare & Pasture is based at Fowlescombe Farm, a regenerative farm in South Devon. It produces a range of charcuterie products using high-welfare meat from its own farm and from other farms that share its values and care.
In addition to its charcuterie, Rare & Pasture produces a highly successful range of cooked meat products, some of them organic, including naturally smoked frankfurters. A key objective of the merged entity will be to make this range available through the combined Tempus Foods sales channels.
The focus of the two companies is to supply trusted, ethically sourced meat and meat products that are not just tastier and healthier to eat but also better for the planet, as well as for farmers and their animals.
Tempus Foods commercial director Dhruv Baker said: “The growth of Tempus has been constrained in the past by the size of our production facilities and our access to working capital.
“By combining with Rare & Pasture, we remove these bottlenecks and position ourselves to better serve the fast-growing UK charcuterie market.
“Through this merger, we will continue to make the well-loved products that both businesses have become known for and have greater potential to expand our range into related cooked meat products.
“Each side of this transaction has been hugely impressed by what the other has to offer, and we very much look forward to working together. It’s the perfect partnering of two successful, ethical charcuterie brands.”
Andrew Owens, chairman of Rare & Pasture, added: “The British charcuterie and artisan meat product market is highly fragmented, leading to an unnecessarily high-cost base, often combined with supply reliability issues.
“Through this transaction, we are creating greater supply capacity, as well as product and customer service synergies, that can accelerate the development of this evolving British food sector.
“Our mission is not restricted to either our existing geographic situation or our existing product range, and so it is hoped that this merger will also stimulate other like-minded artisan producers and farmers to offer their skills and products into our growing portfolio.”
