MEMORIES of wartime rations has inspired an award-winning Ilkley butcher to produce traditional Yorkshire hams.

The move follows an appearance by Lishmans Butchers on the television series, Great British Menu, where top British chefs competed for the chance to cook part of a four-course banquet .

Butcher David Lishman hosted a visit from one of the Scottish contestants, Glasgow chef and restaurateur Jacqueline O’Donnell whose menu for the programme was inspired by the move from wartime rations to abundance.

Jacqueline met David and his father Gordon, who also appeared on the programme, to learn about how bacon was cured during the war years.

David said: “Dad grew up on a farm near Knaresborough, where a German prisoner of war called Henrik, a butcher in his home country, was also working.

“His wartime job on the farm was to kill and cure pigs and he used to hang the York dry-cured hams among the cobwebs in the roof of a barn to keep the flies away. Bacon was also cured in much the same way.

“This fascinating story also gave us the drive to create some wonderful new traditional hams and over the summer months we have been busy preparing and dry curing real York Hams to age-old traditions and in the time-honoured way, but with a slightly more modern feel.

"These traditional York Hams would be a minimum of two-months-old before they were ready to be cooked – and they went out of favour as a direct result.”

Lishmans sold its first York Ham to a customer in Henley on Thames.