Andalucia to the UK - A ham on a journey

So what happens after your order for a Serrano ham has been placed? Well, first of all it has to picked and prepared for quite a long journey! Here at Orce Serrano Hams we understand that your ham is a significant purchase so what we need to thoroughly ensure is that your ham reaches its destination in peak condition.

Stage 1:

After we receive your order your ham is picked from the Secadero. A Spanish Secadero is a curing house where all the hams are cured from day one; this includes the salting and cleaning process as well as the curation which lasts for up to 24 months. Each Serrano ham is chosen by us (which can sometimes take a while to get the right one!) and tested for maturity - this involves inserting a long very thin bone into the meat before being withdrawn and tested for aroma. All of our Serrano hams are chosen this way, direct from the secadero and never imported in bulk to the UK - your ham is yours, direct from the natural conditions provided by Andalucia.

Stage 2:

Packing. Your ham is placed into a "ham sock" this is the white breathable material that your ham will arrive in. The sock is provided to both protect the ham during transit and also any other products in the same box.

Stage 3:

Dispatch. Every ham is chosen either the same day or within 24 hours, after packing your ham then gets picked up by our courier. Our courier "Nacex" is a worth a mention here as they excel in both service and delivery! Unusual you may think for a courier but we cannot fault them for efficiency. In previous years we have worked with various companies but Nacex remain to be the most professional service - important with such valuable cargo… From the point your ham is loaded into the van it is being tracked, reports are emailed to us daily so we can advise where your ham is and when the intended delivery date is. From Orce your ham will travel to Gaudix (main depot) then to Granada and Barcelona before entering the UK. Depending on your location the ham may even by pass Brussels and France missing out Barcelona. Expected delivery turnaround - 5 days.

Stage 4:

Now your ham is in the UK (or other EU destination) within 24 hours it will be tapas all round!

Iberico hams

Iberico hams have always been a bit special. The supplier we work with is based on the other side of Andalucia (after several visits to recognised producers we chose the secadero furthest away!) Since 2006 we have trusted the "Meastro Secadero" to choose the finest grade of Iberico ham. "Andres" chooses your ham with any special customer requirements we advise, a professional of professionals he excels in his work and the passion is quite evident. Choosing an Iberico ham? Rest assured it will be the very best.

Each Iberian ham arrives with us 48 hours later ready to be hand packed and dispatched from Orce.

So there we are, the journey of your ham. Can you smell Spain when you open the box? Absolutely!

© Copyright 2008 Orce Serrano Hams - www.orceserranohams.com