BACON FACTS

It’s presumed that the origins of the phrase ‘bring home the bacon’ have little to do with money. One story suggests that in 12th century England, in the small town of Great Dunmow, the church would give a side of bacon (called a flitch) to any married man who could honestly swear before God that he and his wife had not argued for a year and a day. Because of this, men who ‘brought home the bacon’ were considered upstanding husbands and role models in the community. During the Second World War, American households were encouraged to donate their leftover bacon fat, which was rendered down to make glycerin, an ingredient in the manufacture of explosives.

Although bacon has been around for hundreds of years, the first bacon factory was opened in 1770 by an English businessman named John Harris. The plant was in Wiltshire, and he developed the ‘Wiltshire Cure’ method of brining bacon.

The United Church of Bacon, founded in 2010, is an officially sanctioned church in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s not so much a place for bacon worshipers, but is instead used by atheists and sceptics. Weddings and funerals are known to happen there, and the organisation raises significant funds for various charities.

The first meal enjoyed by US astronauts Neil Armstrong and

Buzz Aldrin after landing on the Moon consisted of bacon, sugar cookies, fruit drinks and coffee. So loved by Americans, bacon enjoys two celebratory days in the United States: US National Bacon Day on 30 December each year, and International Bacon Day, to be held on 5 September this year.