Ask John Rustage from Fulbrook and David Brokwell from Filkins (the Hogfathers) for the secret of their success and they will tell you it’s the delicious aroma of roasting pork that draws people to their carving gazebo. “People passing find it irresistible,” said John as he began carving the pig that emerged triumphant on its spit from the custom-made oven at the back of the gazebo. Steaming juices dripping over the golden brown crackling added to the moment.

I had to agree. I’d only been talking to him a couple of minutes before I had to ask for a piece of crackling. To have stood there any longer without satisfying the craving was impossible. The queue of customers waiting to fill their baps with freshly-carved meat were salivating too.

John and David are butchers, both taking up the profession when they left school. Between them they have a combined 70 years plus in the fresh food industry. They would probably still be making sausages and cutting up carcasses if they hadn’t met up at a local farm shop where they were both employed in the butcher’s shop.

John says their decision to start a hog roast business came from a desire to remain in meat retail yet make a lateral move on leaving the farm shop.

He said: “We were looking for something new but didn’t want to turn our backs on all those years of experience. Besides we had both experienced hog roast catering for employers in the past, so we knew what it was about. We knew we could do this business justice by making hog roasts an affair anyone could fall in love with.”

He went on to explain that they set up Hogfathers in the summer of 2011.

“In our first year we cooked eight pigs. In year two our bookings trebled. This year we are looking to grow even more with an estimated 50 pigs.”

Their free range pigs are sourced from Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire farms. “Generally the pigs we use are Tamworth, Berkshire and Gloucestershire Old Spots. We do our utmost to supply any rare-breed pigs upon request, but obviously this always depends on availability and the date of the event.”

The friends say that for really juicy, tasty pork their pigs are cooked for a minimum of 12 hours on a very slow spit. “This results in a fantastic tasty juicy pork that has slowly basted itself in its own juices. There is nothing to beat this,” said John who admits many chefs fast-cook their pigs in six hours. “I know the pigs get cooked quicker and some believe this is more efficient, but the taste of dry, stringy pork is not something that gets repeat custom. Slow cooking that traps flavour is best.”

I asked for the secret of crispy-crunchy cracking and the friends laugh. They diamond-score the skin and rub loads of salt into it before cooking. John says there are loads of theories on perfect crackling, like scalding the skin.

The Hogfathers don’t serve customers but invite them to serve themselves, building up their bap with apple sauce, pork, crackling and stuffing.

“Not many caterers give customers control of portion sizes. Some caterers say we are crazy, they are crazy for not giving customers what they want.

“Most of our business comes from word of mouth,” said John.

During Witney Food Festival customers ploughed their way through a whole pig in just two hours and their bap count for that pig was 175. Each pig will generate between 150 and 175 portions and so is a great way of feeding party-goers.

The Hogfathers have weddings, a christening, festivals and birthday parties booked. On the Sunday after the Food Festival, Rev Toby booked them to return to St Mary’s to cater for his flock after the Sunday service, which proved a great success. Call John and David on 01993 824131.