Funeral details announced for Goosnargh duck producer Reg Johnson

The details regarding the funeral for renowned Goosnargh duck producer Reg Johnson have been announced.

The funeral will take place at St Francis Hill Chapel in Goosnargh on Monday, 30 November at 12.30pm.

Johnson, whose Goosnargh ducks and corn-fed chickens from his business Johnson and Swarbrick are recognised the world over, passed away suddenly last week following a heart attack. He was 64.

The farmer, who created his corn-fed chicken after being challenged by Paul Heathcote to produce a bird that rivalled Poulet des Landes and Poulet de Bresse, was described by chefs as a "food hero" and "true gent".

Speaking to The Caterer

"He very quickly built up the business and started delivering to London. He was very proud of his produce, and extremely proud of the chefs he worked with. And, of course, Goosnargh became synonymous for one thing - his ducks.

"His family are very involved in the business and that will be his legacy - he just handed it to them sooner than any of us expected.

Johnson and Swarbrick is a well-known and much-loved poultry supplier and duck specialist, with a reputation for producing high-quality duckling and corn-fed chicken. Based at Swainson House Farm in Goosnargh, Johnson and Bud Swarbrick first teamed up as a small-scale operation in the 1960s, when the site was mainly a dairy farm with laying poultry and pigs.

The company featured as part of a masterclass in The Caterer in 2011, when Piquet chef-patron, Allan Pickett (then executive head chef of Plateau), visited the Lancashire farm.

Tributes pour in after Reg Johnson of Goosnargh dies aged 64 >>Masterclass - Goosnargh duckling by Allan Pickett >>