Trunkey Bacon and Pork reopen for business

We love our local producers!

Orange is blessed to have so many amazing producers on our doorstep; from world-class wines, an abundance of fruits and vegetable, to red meat the rival of anywhere in the country.

And when it comes to bacon, pork and smallgoods, Orange’s family-owned and operated Trunkey Creek Bacon and Pork is the benchmark other producers strive for.

Like most small business owners it has been a tough few months for the D’Souza family. But last week they reopened their Endsleigh Avenue shopfront and believe there are big things ahead with more shoppers on the hunt for local, Australian produce

“Like everyone, we were hurt by COVID,” said Zanzie D’Souza. “We went from nine markets a month, then they all stopped overnight. And a lot of the hotels, restaurant and cafes, they had to close or do home delivery — and that's what kept us going. We offered home delivery from Orange to Sydney, so we’d take orders and every Saturday my husband and I we'd run down to Sydney and the Blue Mountains.”

In March, Trunkey Bacon and Pork marked their 20th anniversary. It was largely due to the millennial drought, that Zanzie and husband Fred began processing their own meat and small goods as a way to value-add to their small piggery.

“We weren't getting anything for our pigs and my husband always wanted to make his own small goods and that's where it started,” said Zanzie, who has put off any celebrations until their 21st birthday in 2021.

In the early years, she said it was difficult to convince people to buy local Australian products when there were cheaper alternatives, but today people really want to know more about where their meat comes from.

And since the outbreak of the coronavirus, Australian seem to be taking the ‘buy local’ message to heart.

“One thing this whole situation has done has made people realise they have to buy local and buy Australian,” said daughter Bec D’Souza.

“On Saturday I had a lady in the shop who said since this has all happened, she'll only buy Australian, she has completely changed the way she shops.

“And hopefully this shop will go really well, because people realise it might mean a little bit more to buy Australian, but it has shown we need to be supporting Australian producers and growers and farmers.”