Tempus Foods
Tempus Foods is a British artisan charcuterie producer crafting premium cured meats from ex-breeding sows and ex-dairy beef. The company sells direct-to-consumer through Shopify and supplies premium UK retailers including Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersWeybridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Tempus Foods does
Tempus Foods is a privately held British artisan charcuterie producer founded by MasterChef UK alumni Tom Whitaker (2011 finalist, Production Director) and Dhruv Baker (2010 winner, Commercial Director). The company operates from a custom-built production facility in Weybridge, United Kingdom, with a registered office in Maidenhead, and serves UK consumers and premium food retailers. The founders bring culinary credibility and technical depth: Whitaker trained under Italian charcuterie master Massimo Spigarolli in Zibello, and Baker is a published author (Spice: Layers of Flavour, 2014) and judge on the Great Taste Awards and World Cheese Awards panels. The team is small, comprising the two founders, a 35+ year veteran butcher, and a former senior chef turned charcutier.
The company specializes in premium cured meats made from ex-breeding sows (4+ years old, 180kg+) and ex-dairy beef (up to 14 years old), which deliver superior marbling and fat composition for charcuterie while creating a sustainable by-product use of end-of-life animals. Core products include House Salami (French-style saucisson sec, $10/60g), King Peter Ham (speck-style, chestnut-wood smoked, aged one year, $13), Spiced Loin ($11), Guanciale ($8/100g or $14/200g), British Bresaola, Spiced Coppa, and the Tempus Salami collection. Production uses proprietary techniques: Equilibrium Curing (precision ratio-based salting calculated per piece), controlled fermentation with starter cultures targeting pH 4.9-5.3 at 26-28°C, and tightly regulated aging at 75-80% relative humidity and under 13°C with managed airflow. Aging periods range from 3-4 months for salami and loins up to 14 months for hams. The company collaborates with a mycologist to manage the natural mould biome that contributes to flavor and color stability.
Tempus Foods operates a dual-channel commercial model: direct-to-consumer sales through a Shopify e-commerce storefront (tempusfoods.com) shipping standard tracked or next-day APC within the UK, and B2B wholesale supply to premium retailers including Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, The Fine Cheese Co., and a tail of specialist food shops and delis. The business has accumulated multiple Great Taste Awards and Great British Charcuterie Awards from 2018 through 2022. In April 2024, Tempus Foods merged with South Devon-based Rare & Pasture to expand into smoked meats and increase production capacity, with both brands continuing to operate. The company remains founder-owned with no disclosed external funding.
Tempus Foods firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tempus Foods
- Legal name
- Tempus Foods Limited
- Website
- https://tempusfoods.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Tempus Foods is a British artisan charcuterie producer crafting premium cured meats from ex-breeding sows and ex-dairy beef. The company sells direct-to-consumer through Shopify and supplies premium UK retailers including Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tempus Foods industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Artisan Charcuterie
- NAICS
- Meat Processed from Carcasses (311612), Meat Retailers (445240)
- SIC
- Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Further Processing (Cooked, Smoked, Cured & Deli Meats) (AFAKALAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cured Meats (Dry-Cured, Wet-Cured, Hams, Bacon) (AFANAEAA), Refrigerated Meat & Seafood (Processed/Packaged) (CRADACAK)
Keywords
Where Tempus Foods is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Weybridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Tempus Foods business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Direct E-commerce Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales through the company's Shopify e-commerce storefront. Consumers purchase individual products (House Salami, King Peter Ham, Spiced Loin, Guanciale, etc.) at listed retail prices with optional shipping. Standard tracked delivery (3-5 working days, £4.90) or next-day APC delivery available.
- B2B Wholesale Supply: Supplying British charcuterie to prestigious UK establishments including Fortnum & Mason, Selfridges, and specialist food retailers and restaurants. Products sold in bulk or wholesale quantities to premium food shops, delis, and grocers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | House Salami — $10.00 (60g) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | King Peter Ham — $13.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Spiced Loin — $11.00 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Guanciale — $8.00 (100g) / $14.00 (200g) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
Tempus Foods product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tempus Foods is a British artisan charcuterie producer that butchers, ferments, cures and ages a range of premium cured meats (salami, hams, coppa, bresaola, guanciale, spiced loin) at a custom-built facility in Weybridge, using ex-breeding sows and ex-dairy beef as primary protein. Products are sold both direct-to-consumer via a Shopify online storefront and via B2B wholesale to prestigious UK food establishments such as Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges.
Product overview
Tempus Foods is a British artisan charcuterie producer operating from a custom-built facility in Weybridge. The company specializes in crafting premium cured meats using ex-breeding sows and ex-dairy beef, with products that can take over a year to fully mature. Their product portfolio includes House Salami (fermented 2-3 days, aged 2-3 months), King Peter Ham (smoked over chestnut wood, aged 1 year), Spiced Loin (seasoned with mace, star anise, and black pepper), Guanciale (cold smoked, aged 3 months), British Bresaola (from ex-dairy beef), Tempus Salami collection, and Spiced Coppa. The company employs traditional techniques including butchering, fermenting, curing, and controlled aging, with an obsessive approach to flavour using carefully blended spices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- House Salami A French-style saucisson sec salami flavoured solely with black pepper (Tellicherry peppercorns), fermented 2-3 days and aged 2-3 months. Made from ex-breeding sows. Sold to consumers online and supplied to UK retailers and restaurants.
- King Peter Ham A speck-style ham aged off the bone with skin on, cured with juniper, black pepper and dried bay leaves, then smoked over chestnut wood, aged for one year. Named in honour of co-founder Tom Whitaker's late father. Sold to consumers and to premium UK food retailers.
- Spiced Loin Cured pork loin with a generous fat cap, seasoned with mace, star anise, black pepper, cinnamon and clove. Sold to consumers and to premium UK food retailers.
- Guanciale Classic Italian cut cured in coriander, fennel and black pepper, lightly cold smoked for 20 hours and aged for 3 months. Sold to consumers and to premium UK food retailers.
- Tempus Salami Collection A collection of British/European-style salami products made using ex-breeding sows and traditional fermentation techniques. Sold to consumers and to premium UK food retailers.
- British Bresaola A British-made version of the traditional Italian air-dried beef product, produced from ex-dairy beef up to 14 years of age. Sold to consumers and to premium UK food retailers.
- Spiced Coppa A coppa-style cured pork cut seasoned with spices, part of the Tempus charcuterie range. Sold to consumers and to premium UK food retailers.
- Tempus No. 8 A versatile charcuterie product featured in recipe blog posts, used in dishes including tacos, flatbreads, mac & cheese, mussel dishes, tarts and sausage rolls. Sold to consumers and to premium UK food retailers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Great Taste Awards: 2 Gold Medals at Great British Charcuterie Awards 2018 for Spiced Loin; 1 Star (2019, 2020, 2022) and 2 Star (2021) for House Salami; 2 Stars (2020) and 1 Star (2021) for King Peter Ham.
Companies that use Tempus Foods
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Tempus Foods technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Tempus Foods partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Rare & PasturecoreRare & Pasture, a South Devon smoked meat business, merged with Tempus Foods in April 2024. The merger aimed to expand product ranges and increase production capacity, with operations continuing under their respective brand names. The combined entity benefits from expanded capabilities in smoked meats and charcuterie.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Tempus Foods competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Trealy Farm Charcuterie: Welsh artisan charcuterie producer making salami, chorizo, and cured meats from British-reared livestock. Closely comparable as a small-batch UK charcuterie specialist with a similar supply chain and restaurant/deli customer base.
- Cobble Lane Cured: London-based artisan charcuterie producer specializing in cured meats made in small batches, with similar premium positioning and supply into UK delicatessens, restaurants, and specialty retailers.
- Highland Charcuterie: Scottish artisan charcuterie producer crafting salami and cured meats from locally sourced British pigs. Directly comparable in production technique, premium positioning, and target customers (delis, restaurants, food retailers).
- Cannon & Cannon: UK artisan charcuterie and British cheese supplier serving premium restaurants, delis, and retailers. Directly comparable in distribution model (B2B wholesale to premium UK food establishments) and product category (British cured meats).
- Secret Smokehouse: British artisan smoked and cured meat producer with overlapping product categories (salami, smoked meats) and a similar small-batch, premium positioning for UK wholesale and DTC channels.
Broad incumbents
- Valtellina (Italian cured-meat importers): UK distributor of premium Italian cured meats including bresaola, prosciutto, and salami. Comparable as a competitor for shelf space in the same premium deli and retailer channels, though focused on imported rather than British-produced charcuterie.
- Daylesford Organic: UK premium organic farm and food retailer with an in-house charcuterie and cured meat range. Comparable at the premium-channel intersection (organic/specialty food retail) and overlapping consumer demographic, though broader in product scope.
Emerging players
- Dingley Dell Pork: British specialist pork producer with adjacent charcuterie activity, focusing on heritage breeds and premium positioning. Comparable as a small UK producer using differentiated protein sourcing to supply premium food service and retail.
Others
- The Fine Cheese Co. Listed Tempus customer; a UK specialist retailer of fine cheese and artisan accompaniments including charcuterie. Relevant as a channel partner that distributes competing and complementary premium cured meats to similar UK retail and wholesale customers.
- Neals Yard Dairy: UK specialist retailer of artisan British and European cheeses and cured meats. Comparable as a B2B/wholesale distributor and retailer serving the same premium UK food establishment channel, with overlap in product category (charcuterie boards).
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tempus Foods social profiles
Digital presenceTempus Foods compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
Tempus Foods financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tempus Foods leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Tempus Foods subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Tempus Foods funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tempus Foods M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tempus Foods
What does Tempus Foods do?
Tempus Foods is a British artisan charcuterie producer that butchers, ferments, cures and ages a range of premium cured meats (salami, hams, coppa, bresaola, guanciale, spiced loin) at a custom-built facility in Weybridge, using ex-breeding sows and ex-dairy beef as primary protein. Products are sold both direct-to-consumer via a Shopify online storefront and via B2B wholesale to prestigious UK food establishments such as Fortnum & Mason and Selfridges.
Is Tempus Foods a public or private company?
Tempus Foods is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tempus Foods founded?
Tempus Foods was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Tempus Foods based?
Tempus Foods is headquartered in Weybridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Tempus Foods make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Direct E-commerce Sales are the primary driver. The others are B2B Wholesale Supply.
Who are Tempus Foods's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Trealy Farm Charcuterie, Cobble Lane Cured, Highland Charcuterie, Cannon & Cannon and Secret Smokehouse. Broad incumbents are Valtellina (Italian cured-meat importers) and Daylesford Organic. Dingley Dell Pork is listed as an emerging player. Others are The Fine Cheese Co. and Neals Yard Dairy.
Does Tempus Foods have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tempus Foods.
What industry is Tempus Foods in?
Tempus Foods's product category is Artisan Charcuterie. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAKALAD, Further Processing (Cooked, Smoked, Cured & Deli Meats), with a secondary code of AFANAEAA, Cured Meats (Dry-Cured, Wet-Cured, Hams, Bacon). Its NAICS code is 311612 and its SIC code is 2013.