Something Meaty: How to Get Quality Cured Meats Delivered to Your Door

Living through a pandemic is by no means fun, but on the plus side, there’s never been a better time to be a homebody. Sure, leaving the house can be great (especially if it involves visiting top-notch restaurants) but being a bit of a homebody and an introvert I’m often torn between my love of restaurant dining and the lure of staying home in my fat pants. The national lockdown has had devastating effects on South Africa’s restaurants, but it’s also forced restaurants and food producers to come up with innovative solutions and launch new sides of their business they otherwise would not have explored.

In addition to allowing me to order eats and treats from my favourite restaurants to my door, the lockdown has offered an incredible opportunity to sample the fare of many restaurants, food suppliers, and delis, that I may never have found the time to visit. The latest food producer to enter the online delivery game is Richard Bosman Quality Cured Meats. The man responsible for supplying some of Cape Town’s best cured meats, Richard Bosman has launched an online store to bring his artisanal fare straight to your door.

Offering a selection of artisanal cured meats, sauces, as well as gourmet rubs and spices, the speciality food store is a one-stop-shop of deliciousness. Before lockdown, if you wanted to get your hands on Richard Bosman’s meat you had to trek to spots like Bellville’s Baconville and other brick-and-mortar suppliers of Bosman’s fare, but now, thanks to the launch of the new online store and ordering app, hungry customers from all over the country can enjoy a taste of the Bosman magic.

Offering delivery in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban, Richard Bosman Quality Cured Meats has upped the ante with 10 mouth-watering new products available for delivery, including Mortadella, Cajun Andouille Sausage, hand-made Bratwurst and Bacon Miso Caramel Sauce. When it comes to cured meats in Cape Town, Richard Bosman is a cut above the rest. He’s been producing exceptional Italian and Spanish style charcuterie since 2009 with meats being hand-salted, hung and cured for 2 to 12 months. The result is delicious, artisanal fare that is well worth the wait.

I had the pleasure of sampling the 100g Charcuterie Selection Pack containing slices of Coppa (air-dried pork neck, cured with spices), Bresaola (air-dried grass-fed beef, seasoned with black pepper, bay, garlic and red wine), and Salami (Italian-style salami made with red wine, garlic, salt and pepper). This variety pack is a great introduction to Bosman’s meaty genius and will have you hooked on Richard Bosman Quality Cured Meats products for life. So divinely morish, the salami is easily the best I’ve ever tasted. I also loved the sweet and buttery Coppa which really shines when served alongside pickled vegetables and cheese on an antipasto platter.

Other winners from the range include the Spanish Rub (R50). This delicious rub is so delicious you could eat it with a spoon and gives a chorizo taste to roast chicken, pork ribs or anything in between. With salt, paprika, chilli, garlic, and fennel, this rub takes roast chicken to mouth-watering new levels.

The online store also offers tasty DIY kits inspired by fan-favourite Bacon on Brie breakfasts as served at the iconic restaurant and market stall in Cape Town over the past few years. Packed with 2 packs of real bacon, 1 jar Baconnaise, a recipe sheet and 6 free-range eggs, the BLT Breakfast Pack retails for R140 and gives you almost everything you need to make your own Bacon on Brie BLT at home (just add bread, lettuce and tomato). Or try the Rooster Breakfast Pack (R140) with 2 packs smoked streaky bacon, 1 jar Taberu Rayu sauce, a recipe sheet and 6 free-range eggs. Just add bread and you’re ready to rock.

What’s more, Richard Bosman’s Quality Cured Meats has also introduced new eco-friendly packaging to the range. “We have moved away from vacuum packs to a gas-flushed system where freshly-sliced meat is placed in a PET, recyclable tray and all the oxygen is removed. The pack is then filled with a mix of nitrogen and CO2 which are inert and prevent spoilage,” explains Richard. “No more plastic interleaving, no more squashed meats and it’s better for the environment.”

Feeling hungry yet? Visit the new online store and place your order today.

Feeling hungry yet? Visit the new online store and place your order today.