Maynard Davies, the last of the traditional bacon apprentice-boys, and now retired master-curer, shares here with the reader his lifetime's knowledge of the art of smoking and curing. In this practical manual Maynard explains, step-by-step, how he did it all in his day from choosing the best raw ingredients, to building one s own smokehouse, to the secrets of making the best sausage. After working in the profession for 60 years, Maynard wants to pass on his expertise to the next generation, in the hope that enthusiasts will get as much satisfaction from producing their own hams, bacon, sausages and countless other products, made with pride from the best ingredients, as he has always done. AUTHOR: Maynard Davies is one of the last apprentice-boy bacon curers, and he was trained in the dying arts of his trade in post-war Staffordshire. Becoming a master bacon curer, he went on to expand his repertoire by travelling to America where he taught the inmates of a large prison how to cure. With a young family, he then set up a small-holding in the Peak District and ran an (eventually) very successful farm, with home-spun smoking, curing and selling direct to the public. Maynard has four daughters and he and his wife Ann live in north Shropshire where, although semi-retired, Maynard is still regarded as one of the country's leading experts in his field, and his training courses, lecture and consultancy is in great demand. Maynard has been hailed by Rick Stein as a 'Food Hero' and he has been on The Food Programme and several television programmes on quality, traditional British food. Maynard's 'life in bacon' has been published in two parts in Maynard, Adventures of a Bacon Curer and Maynard, Secrets of a Bacon Curer. 175 colour photographs