t h e
n e w
o x f o r d
A brief history of
the world’s oldest
ham and the latest
culinary trends in
pastoral England
By Chris Johns
32
spring 2019
caa saskatchewan
wandering through the nearly
250-year-old Oxford Covered Market,
with its pink painted ceiling and
cast-iron lamps, I didn’t expect to
be mesmerized by a piece of porcine
history. But now I can’t stop staring.
Suspended by a thin wire and
housed in a polished glass terrarium,
the little black nubbin is the prized
possession of butcher M. Feller Sons
and Daughter. Imported from Chicago
in 1892, the ham owes its longevity
to being cured in borax. The butchers
think it might still be edible, but no
one is willing to give it a taste. It’s
one of very few inedible things in this
venerable market.
Over at Brown’s Café, patrons line up
for the all-day full English breakfast.
At butcher David John’s stall, whole
pheasants, partridges and pigeons are
displayed like fleshy gems beside a
glistening platter of venison kidneys.
The selection isn’t surprising when
you consider the place started out as a
game butchery back in the 1800s.
I stop to admire the display case
at The Oxford Cheese Company: Isle »