Family-run food producer of more than 40 years in Northampton adds another award to growing collection
A family-run food producer, which has been providing the best British meats from Northampton for more than four decades, has added another award to its growing collection.
The journey of Houghton Hams, located in Moulton Park Industrial Estate, began with Nigel Wagstaff’s uncle Don who worked in farming his whole life.
Don introduced Nigel to farming and he looks back on those years fondly, when he would help on the farm at weekends and assist in the local butchers during the week.
It was in 1983, with the support of his wife Jo, when Nigel took a leap of faith to start the Houghton Hams family business and it has been going strong for the past 43 years.
With Nigel’s experience in farming and butchery, and the acquisition of their secret ‘Wagstaff Complete Cure’ recipe, they began producing artisan hams and gammons from a small unit in Moulton village.
Family and passion have been at the core of the business from the beginning. They always select the best regional UK and European based farms, to produce quality meat products that meet strict standards.
The business still operates from Moulton and is under the careful management of the Wagstaff family – Nigel, Jo and their four children Paul, Julie, Linda and Sarah.
Open seven days a week from premises 10 times the size of their initial unit in 1983, the family employs up to 100 people from all over the world and they make up the extended Houghton Hams family.
The business’ latest success is that their ‘Houghton Made Without Nitrates Ham’ earned them the title of Healthy Food and Wellbeing Producer of the year at the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food & Drink Awards 2026/27.
“We started with this product in 2018 and I think we were a little bit ahead of the times really,” Nigel told the Chronicle & Echo. “We got it into Aldi and because there were no nitrates turning into nitrites in the product, it made quite an impact and a lot of people wanted it.
“While it’s early days still, the product is one of the largest growing items in our line on Ocado and a high profile part of the business now.
“To be recognised again within food and drink in the county is appreciated. It underlines where we are, what we’re doing and that we’re on the right track. We’re pleased.”
Nigel explained that as years have gone by, more and more transparency is needed about what goes into our food and this has been a focus for Houghton Hams over the past decade.
With a growing conversation around the link between bowel cancer and nitrates in food, Nigel believes consumption in moderation is key. He explained that nitrites have been part of the meat industry for hundreds of years, to achieve the desired food safety, colour and taste.
He believes it is unlikely we will ever see them completely removed, so it is important that those who want to avoid any risk have quality alternatives to choose from – which is where the ‘Houghton Made Without Nitrates Ham’ steps in.
For anyone who wants to try the product, Nigel says customers are guaranteed to get their hands on it on Ocado and the hope is to get it stocked in more shops as time goes on.
Looking to the future of Houghton Hams, Nigel concluded: “It’s been 43 years and we have four children who are entrenched in the business at the moment, but it has to be their decision.
“We’d love to see them flourish and go forward for many years but we don’t know what’s around the corner, so we’ll do the very best we can in the immediate future.”