Happiness is Pig shaped

See that fella there, he's a happy soul.

He has acres in which to run around, shelter whenever he needs it, good quality natural feed , lots of buddies and more mud than you can shake a stick at. A true free ranger.

My friends Marlene and Gary raise pigs to the highest welfare standards. Their farm, Le Sechoir (translates as The Dryer, it's short for a tobacco drying barn) is a perfect environment which together with high level pig husbandry makes for happy animals. They rear a number of breeds including some older and relatively rare English such as Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot .

The 'free range' equivalent in France is 'Label Rouge', an internationally respected accreditation which vigorously inspects quality, taste and welfare. It originated as a grassroots movement in the 1960's as a reaction against ever increasing intensive poultry farming methods. Led by farmers from the regions of the Landes and the Perigord , it was a speciality movement which grew and grew as French consumers demanded the taste of traditionally raised farm chicken. The accreditation now covers all meat.

Located in a little village called Campagne just a few miles from Les Eyzies, Le Sechoir sits opposite a beautiful 15th century chateau which together with its 12th century chapel gives the best view a farmer could wish for. As the old estate agent mantra goes, location, location, location.