Tourism bosses are hoping that the Wiltshire Cure will be to Calne what the pork pie is to Melton Mowbray and cheese is to Cheddar.

As reported in the Gazette & Herald last week, the town is hoping to cash in on the traditional pork process, developed in the town by the Harris family, and boost visitor numbers.

Sarah Harris started a family butcher’s firm in 1770 and pork soon became a major part of the business. Imported Irish pigs arrived at Bristol before being taken to London.

When the Irish potato famine reduced pig imports, Sarah’s grandson George travelled to America to secure an alternative supply. Although this proved impractical, while he was there he learned about the use of ice to preserve meat.

The ‘ice house’ he built on his return proved very successful. The cold temperatures meant they could use less salt in the process, creating a milder cure.

For the Wiltshire Cure, a carcass was injected with a mixture of salt and saltpetre then rubbed all over with salt and left for 21 days. Due to the length of time the curing process took, it could only be produced in cool weather or by refrigeration.

The factory was opened when brothers Thomas and Charles Harris amalgamated their separate shops in 1888 to form C&T Harris & Co.

Just before the First World War, C&T Harris switched to a wet cure, immersing the carcass in tanks of matured brine for three or four days. This gave a quicker turnover and a less salty meat but was not a sweet cure.

Sue Boddington from Calne Heritage Centre said: “The people who worked there said it was like a family. They had all sorts of things for the workers: a carnival in the factory, a drama group and sports teams.

“During the Second World War, Harris made up the wages of the men who joined up to the level they would have been if they had stayed at the factory.”

The rise in popularity of the Danish sweet cure and increased Danish imports hit Harris’ trade and, despite becoming part of FMC group, the factory eventually shut its doors in 1982. The building was demolished two years later.

Ms Boddington said: “After it was gone lots of smaller business started up and took its place but visually it left a big hole in the centre of town.

“We still get lots of queries about Harris – people who have relatives who worked there and lots of memories of the shop which sold their products.”

* Do you have memories of the Harris factory, or know of relatives that worked there? Email aball@gazetteandherald.co.uk