Running W Serving Quality Local Hams
For most Belizean families, the holidays are not complete without a ham on the dinner table. And with Christmas just a few days away, many shoppers haven’t bought their hams as yet. While many see the imported hams as an affordable option – there are local brands that serve up quality at competitive prices. Today we headed west to find out more about the local hams at Running W Brand Meats. Here’s that report.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
For most Belizean families, a ham is a staple during the Christmas holidays. Selecting a ham varies on cost and quality, among other factors. While there are large quantities of imported hams on the market – there are quality local brands that are still affordable and some may say even tastier, like the locally made hams at Running W brand meats.
Terrence Rhaburn
Terrence Rhaburn, Marketing & PR Rep, Running W Brand Meats
“We take pride that we are hundred percent Belizean and that we produce a product that I would say is par to none. It is a quality product. It is safe-fed. It is a product that comes from farmers that we choose who are local. We make sure that every animal that we use, either the ham leg or the shoulder are great products. We take a lot of pride in that and we have an on-site BAHA inspector whenever we process any of the animals.”
Terrence Rhaburn of the Running W Brand Meats says that the hams produced come from quality animals and are processed for you to enjoy flavor and quality.
Terrence Rhaburn
“No preservatives. Our hams are not pumped with water. It is pumped with brine, of course that is a secret ingredient that we use. It is not oversaturated with water so when you cook it you get meat. It doesn’t water down. It doesn’t cook out. Whatever we are sending out this month and January, they were prepared fresh. The brining process and the smoking process were prepared fresh, so you are really getting a good processed meat that hasn’t been sitting in the freezer for a very long time.”
Andrea Polanco
“What is the flavor like?”
Terrence Rhaburn
“I have tried our local hams and the imported ones, but preferably, I would go with our local ham because I know it is a great product. You get that smoky flavor. Growing up I used to find local hams very salty and you used to hear that you have to boil it and stuff like that but now the way we produced our hams it is not that salty – it is not high in salt content so it is a really great product.”
Running W Brand sells both the leg and picnic. Once you have selected your cut you can use your own recipe to prepare your ham or you can try out Running W’s recipe that includes red wine, mustard, pine apple juice and brown sugar.
Terrence Rhaburn
“The leg is the bigger cut of the ham so usually when customers come in they would ask if we could cut it in half for them. The shoulder, the picnic, which is a really nice cut from the animal, is really great for consumption. We are doing really well with that this year. The guys who prepare it inside take their time with each product to make sure that the customer gets a quality meat; a quality cut of meat.”
Andrea Polanco
“Is it affordable – can they afford Running W hams?”
Terrence Rhaburn
“Well, I would say yes. I am a big believer in supporting local. The shoulders are six-fifty right now and the legs are seven dollars. So, I mean, you can’t beat that. So, we give out the recipe card and you can use our instructions or you have your mom or grandmother might have her own lee flavor she wants to add. It is very simple; very straightforward. All you gotta do, we recommend you cook it per pound at whatever the pound is for two hours.”
While the quality and price may determine if you choose a local or imported ham, Running W wants you to remember that choosing local also helps local businesses and our economy.
Terrence Rhaburn
“Just to encourage Belizeans – it is the time of the year and choose local, buy local and support your local economy. It goes a long way.”
If you are still deciding where to get your ham, Running W Brand will be selling at competitive prices out at the Michael Finnegan Market in Belize City. If you are a last minute shopper, the headquarters on the George Price Highway will be open until two on the twenty-fourth. Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
