Meat Management is saddened to report the death of one of the meat industry’s great characters, Graham White, chairman of sausage manufacturer Porky Whites Ltd. A true sausage pioneer.
Born in 1951 Graham passed away peacefully, with his family at his side, on 22nd May, following a bout of illness and a recent fall. He was just 75.
As the head of the house and his business for decades he was and, his family say, always will be, “The ‘OG’ of Porky Whites”. For those not in the know, ‘OG’ is used to refer to someone who is an original or originator and is highly respected and regarded. Well, that certainly applied to Graham White.
Graham was the well-known entrepreneur butcher behind the highly successful Porky Whites sausage and meat products brand. The original business was founded by Graham’s dad and uncle, Harry and Jim, in 1935, in a butcher’s shop in Ewell, Surrey.
Graham said his dad and uncle set out to “make the best sausage money could buy”, creating premium sausages to an old family recipe, including ‘The Surrey’, and soon had customers queuing down the street to buy them.
Graham’s introduction to the meat industry began on day one, and as he himself said: “I remember sitting on my dad’s shoulders in the butchers – people would come from far and wide to get their Surreys.”
That has certainly followed into his own family, as Graham would take his daughters, Fran, Carla and Alix, when they were children down to Smithfield Market in his van. He had a huge work ethic and installed that into his daughters, and it has clearly been successful as his daughter Fran is now Porky Whites’ managing director, working alongside her sister Carla, sales director of the business. Fran can recall: “My dad would be in the shops and my mum used to do the rounds and we’d go off with her to pubs in the area, sitting in the back of a Bedford Rascal van with no seat belts, as you did in those days.”
With a string of family shops, Graham soon built up the business, and he also served the wider industry, representing members of the South West London Butchers Association. His late wife, Susan White MBE, was a past chair of the Butchers’ and Drovers’ Charitable Institution (BDCI), and together Graham and Susan supported that charity for more than 35 years.
One good example is when they were both actively involved with the residents of the charity’s Smoothfield residential homes in Hounslow. Susan visited regularly but Graham would often give up his Sundays to join her, giving time and support to those who needed it. Eventually, however, much of the property was sold off and, reflecting changing times, the number of ‘meat trade’ tenants substantially reduced at Hounslow as the charity took up a new national strategy of helping more dependents throughout the UK. In 1994, Susan was awarded an MBE for her charity work, including her BDCI activities. A very proud day for Graham and all their family.
Changing times also meant the high street trade started to get harder for many butchers and so the business began to sell off shops. The manufacturing side of the Surrey-based business grew and today it employs 35 staff. Fran took over at the helm in 2019 and in his role as chairman, Graham was always there to guide and help out when needed.
Graham Yandell, publisher of Meat Management and himself a past festival chairman of the BDCI, commented: “We have been the best of friends for 40 years and my wife Sharon and I enjoyed such happy days with Graham and Susan in the past, particularly pre-Covid, and I know his loss will be keenly felt, not just by us but by all who knew and loved him. Our thoughts are with the whole Porky Whites family at such a sad time.”
Messages from industry, suppliers and even competitors and family friends have been numerous on social media, a true testimonial to the esteem Graham and indeed all his family are held in.
Fran said: “Thank you all for your kind words and well wishes – they mean a lot to the whole family at this difficult time.
“If you do happen to have a sausage (doesn’t have to be one of ours), please do raise it (or a glass) in honour of Graham.”
A hard worker, innovator, fun and generous man, Graham White was a colourful character, who, like his entire family, has given back to the meat industry that he loved, and loved him.
Graham ‘The OG’ John White 1951-2026.
Knives down. Apron off. Time to put your feet up Graham.
