Our history began in 1875, when brothers Albert Oakley, aged 36 and Edwin started out business around Luton, Leighton Buzzard, St Albans and Hemel Hempstead where we then sold bacon, lard, margarine and cheese from a handcart. Unable to keep up with increasing demand for their fresh, quality produce, the entrepreneurs decided to purchase a permanent plot in a prestigious part of Luton, High Town.
Perfectly placed near the railway, the shop was an ideal location to receive deliveries - and of course, passing trade. Sadly, Albert Oakley died being thrown from a pony and trap in 1917, however Edwin continued to expand the business and keep it thriving. In the meantime, Albert's son William had joined the family business and kept their customers supplied throughout the war. Following in his father William's footsteps, Peter Oakley joined the business in 1951, where they worked together for 22 years. Keen to maintain the family tradition, Jonathan, Peter's son came on board in 1982, at which time the bacon processing and wholesaling was moved to Flitton. Since then, Oakley Brothers has flourished in Flitton, where it now concentrates on processing and wholesaling bacon to a growing customer base. We are proud to now have three generations of the Oakley family working in the business, with Jonathan's daughter Hattie joining the business in 2009. The Smokehouse
We have been smoking bacon since 1875 and despite changing technology over the years, we still believe that our traditional smoker produces the best smoked flavour possible.
Our smoking room is a traditional brick built kiln with rails on the ceiling where bacon is hung to allow the smoke to be gently infused into the meat. The smoke is produced from a mixture of oak shavings and sawdust in a process overseen by our Master Smoker Robert who has worked with us for nearly 50 years.
The bacon is first dried out so that the smoke will infuse right into it, therefore acting both as a preservative and as a flavouring. Then the fire is lit and slowly smoulders for at least six hours as the smoke is drawn into the kiln.When the bacon is a golden brown, we know that the process is complete and a flavoursome cut of bacon is born!
Slicing
We offer the full range of pack sizes of all our products in both wholesale and retail packs, which we can also slice to your specification.
Cooking
Our exceptional on-site cooking facility means we can produce our traditional ham the Oakley Bros way from beginning to end. By carefully selecting the best quality gammons and controlled cooking, we produce a consistent succulent flavour every single time.
Choose from smoked, unsmoked or for a slightly sweeter taste, why not try our honeyroast or black molasses hams?
