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A generous ham on the table makes my Christmas every year. Whether you prefer green or smoked, free-range or organic, the humble ham is a cornerstone of the festive feast. If you can, go as large as possible, because bigger joints roll and tie more easily, and have a more even layer of fat that results in a better, more generous ham. And, of course, those Boxing Day leftovers are pure joy.
A good layer of fat matters, because it adds flavour and, when glazed, a delicious, gelatinous crust – in fact, that’s my favourite bit. Smooth, tender, brine-cured hams are perfect for cold cuts sliced like classic supermarket-style ham. Coarser, organic, nitrite- and nitrate-free joints are ideal for slow roasting, which gives them a much deeper, richer flavour. Nitrates and nitrites have been used for centuries to preserve meat, and help create that familiar blushed pink colour and recognisable flavour, but we’ve become more aware of the health risks they pose in the past decade or so. If you’re trying to avoid these additives, there are nitrate- and nitrite-free hams out there that are delicious, albeit darker and coarser.
Animal welfare matters, too, of course. Free-range and organic gammon is frustratingly hard to find in supermarkets, and even from independent butchers, it seems – I’ve been told by organic butcheries that there is a shortage of organic pork. So for this taste test, I’ve broken the mould and done my shopping online, seeking out butchers with high welfare standards and nationwide delivery. Many have minimum orders and limited delivery days, so if you fancy going down this route, make sure you order early; many offer sign-up incentives such as free delivery or 10% off, making this a smart way to secure top-quality, high-welfare meat for Christmas. Your local butcher is also one of the best options. Just remember to order in advance – Christmas is just around the corner!
Look for organic, free-range or outdoor-reared pigs that have had access to the outdoors for their whole lives, and check out Farms Not Factories’ label guide to help demystify welfare standards. Farmers who breed pigs outdoors often choose heritage breeds such as gloucestershire old spots or large blacks, because they’re better suited to outdoor living. By choosing hams from heritage breeds raised outdoors, you’re not only supporting traditional farming methods but also contributing to the preservation of biodiversity and more sustainable agriculture.
For this tasting, I brought each gammon to a boil, replenished the water, then simmered based on weight: 30 minutes per 500g, plus 30 minutes extra. I didn’t glaze the hams, because I wanted a clear taste of the meat, and the tasting was done warm and cold so as to fully appreciate texture and flavour. Happy Christmas!
The best gammon
Best overall:
Pipers Farm native breed unsmoked gammon
★★★★★
A large wheel of brine-cured and air-dried gammon with a perfect, 10mm-thick layer of fat and rind. Wonderfully sweet with balanced saltiness, great depth of flavour and lovely-tasting fat. Medium to coarse texture. Made from free-range saddleback pigs reared on small-scale family farms. Contains additives. Excellent value for the quality.
Best bargain:
Field & Flower dry-cured unsmoked horseshoe gammon
★★★★★
A neat, small joint with a thick layer of fat and thin rind. Savoury, delicious and glossy from the fat, with a tender texture that slices beautifully both hot and cold. Made from free-range British pork leg, born and reared outdoors all year round. Contains preservatives. Great quality, and the most economical free-range gammon of the lot.
And the rest …
Waitrose No 1 free-range British unsmoked gammon joint
★★★★☆
A quintessential dry-cured ham with a pale colour and a generous layer of fat. Medium salty with a balanced, sweet-savoury flavour. Slices neatly, with a medium-coarse texture. Made from free-range British pigs sired by pedigree Hampshire boars, and reared outdoors in straw-filled shelters. Contains additives. Great value.
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The Wild Meat Company Blythburgh free-range gammon
★★★★☆
A light pink, boneless ham with good jelly and a small piece of fat and rind. Quite salty, but deliciously sweet and subtly flavoured. Smooth, tender meat that’s lovely warm and cold. Free-range, brine-cured pork that contains stabilisers, nitrates and hydrolysed vegetable protein. Quite pricey, but great quality.
Kimbers’ Farm Shop gammon joint
★★★☆☆
A generous, round joint with more than a centimetre of fat and rind. Medium-dark meat with balanced saltiness and a sweet, gamey flavour, which creates a lovely clear jelly when cooked. Medium-coarse and tender, both warm and cold. Made from outdoor-raised gloucestershire old spot pigs with straw-bedded traditional pigsties with an outside pen. Contains nitrates.
The Dorset Meat Company boneless unsmoked horseshoe gammon
★★★☆☆
A large, well-strung gammon with a thin layer of fat and rind, and dark meat. Quite salty, so worth double-boiling, but has a strong, well-balanced, sweet-savoury flavour. Coarse meat texture. Outdoor-reared pigs from small Dorset and Wiltshire farms, fattened in sheds. Contains nitrates.
Artisan Box free-range gammon joint
★★★☆☆
A beautiful, neatly rolled, wet-cured gammon joint. Perfectly savoury, with a smooth texture that slices easily and tastes delicious warm or cold. Farmed in Cornwall by Primrose Herd and neighbouring farms. Outdoor bred. Contains additives.
