Join the Wickedfood Earth Team, in conjunction with O’Driscoll’s Jacobsbaai, on the edge of the West Coast between Vredenburg and Saldanha, for a hands-on 3-day Pork Charcuterie Workshop, where we’ll show you how to break down and butcher a pig for charcuterie, and introduce you to the basics of the three main arts of pork curing, including:

• Brining or wet curing for hams;
• whole muscle dry curing and aging, including bacon, pancetta and coppa;
• how to make 2 classic sausages; and
• the art of making artisan salami from scratch. 

When: 8 to 10 August 2026

Where: O’Driscoll’s, Jacobsbaai, West Coast.

Cost of the Workshop: R5 990pp for all 3 days, includes, all ingredients, extensive notes and lunches on both days (excludes accommodation). or R3 990 for day 2 to 3.

Workshop booking: cilla@wickedfood.co.za or WhatsApp 076 236-2345 or Quicket;

Led by Mike, co-founder of Wickedfood Earth Farm and recognised as a Slow Food champion, these workshops are about more than just learning how to make bacon, sausage or salami. They’re a celebration of ethical, sustainable, small-scale food production – rooted in 30 years of culinary exploration, teaching, and food anthropology.

Since 2014, our country cooking school in Gauteng has become synonymous with traditional South African cured meats and European-style charcuterie. From coppa and pancetta to boerewors and biltong, we’ve perfected the craft and now go on the road to share it.

With over 2 000 participants trained to date, our mobile workshops are designed for farmers, foodies, chefs and hobbyists alike – anyone looking to understand where their food comes from, how to process it with respect, and how to add value.

Join us on this journey. Learn new skills. Meet like-minded people. Reconnect with real food. And savour the joy of curing your own pork from scratch.

Our hosts

O’Driscoll’s Jacobsbaai, on the edge of the West Coast, is owned and operated by Áine and JP, a combination of Ireland, meets Sandveld. The venue offers a warm, inspiring space perfectly suited for workshops and intimate events. It combines old-world charm with relaxed hospitality, that encourages connection and creativity. Guests consistently praise the personal touch, attentive hosting, and unique character that make every event feel special. O’Driscoll’s is more than just a venue – it’s a place where people gather, learn, and leave inspired.  

3-day Pork charcuterie workshop

“….. for anyone wanting to start a small farm based or community butchering business, the Wickedfood Charcuterie Workshop is the best investment you can make. For a measly R5 990 you get all the hands-on instruction and extensive reference material to break down, process and add value to a pig, carcass….” – Charles

An introduction to the wonderful world of charcuterie. This hands-on 3 full day workshop, includes all ingredients and lunch on all days. In this charcuterie workshop we will introduce you to the basics of the three main arts of meat curing – pig butchery, whole muscle dry curing and aging; brining whole cuts for hams and hot smoking; and how to make 3 classic pork sausages and the basics of making salami. 

Techniques covered include:

Day 1 – Brining for salt pork, ham, and more

• How to break down a pig for brined pork – hands-on demonstration of how to break down a pig carcass and the different brining cuts;
• The brine – an introduction to the wonderful world of brining meat and wet curing hams. We’ll introduce you to different brining mixes for various cuts of pork to make salt pork, shoulder hams, gammon, hot smoked belly bacon, Kassler style smoked loin, and crispy pork knuckles;
• Hot smoking – how hot smoking works, smoking times and how to build a simple hot smoker at home;
• Gammon cooking methods – stove top and oven methods of how to cook the perfect juicy gammon.

Day 2 – Pork butchery and Whole muscle dry curing

• The science and theory of whole muscle dry curing – extensive notes and explanation of exactly how the process works including the use of different salts and drying techniques.
• How to break down a pig for dry-cure charcuterie – hands-on demonstration of how to break down a pig carcass and the different charcuterie cuts for dry curing;
• Whole Muscle Dry Curing  – the basics of dry curing and aging for pancetta, bacon and coppa;

Day 3 – Making of Sausage and Salami

• The science and theory of making wet and dry sausage – extensive notes and explanation of exactly how the process works including salting, spicing, cultures, grinding, filling and drying.
• The basics of making 2 perfect pork sausages –  classic breakfast pork and Italian style pork Sausage;
• Meat fermentation and how to make a basic pork salami – how spices and preservatives work, and grinding, stuffing and drying a classic salami.