Discover your perfect holiday ham: 60 handcrafted meats from Master Butcher to your feasting table

‘Tis the season to be merrily feasting, whether it be on succulent turkey, delicious holiday ham or a thick slab of steak. This indulgent meat fest is often a highlight of many a festive spread, accompanied by a well-loved playlist and the warmth of your closest kin.

If you’re planning on channelling your inner Martha Stewart in the days ahead, Pan Pacific Singapore’s Pacific Emporium is just the place for you.

Premium ingredients for quality meats

The butchery counter is a one-stop shop for an extensive selection of premium cuts, with over 60 varieties of aromatic hams, sausages and cold cuts, handcrafted using original recipes.

These are made daily in the butchery kitchen and are zhuzhed up with custom spice blends. Pacific Emporium’s commitment to the finest ingredients is commendable – Virginia hams are crafted with fresh pork, while sausages are made from 100 per cent fresh meat.

Chef Haiko Mayer is the Master Butcher that makes the magic happen at Pacific Emporium. Born and raised in Goppingen – near Stuttgart – in Germany, the affable chef joined the team at Pan Pacific Singapore last year after over a decade of experience in award-winning butcheries in Germany, Australia, and now at Pan Pacific Singapore.

“I was really excited when I received the opportunity to work in South-east Asia for the first time. It’s a chance for me to expand my experience by immersing myself in a different culture and I’m eager to blend new ideas and approaches to create innovative fusions,” says Chef Haiko.

While Smoked Pork Garlic Sausages and marjoram-infused Nuernberger Sausages remain classic bestsellers at Pacific Emporium, Chef Haiko recommends trying the new menu items like Dry-Cured Black Forest Ham, Chicken Liver Pate and Tyroler Speck, which is a type of smoked and cured ham from the Tyrol region in Austria.

To spruce up your Christmas spread, his Foie Gras Terrine and Duck Rillettes, Home-Cured Beef Salami and Christmas Citron Thyme Bratwurst are also a must-try.

Chef Haiko believes meat quality is imperative to creating a stellar product and sources his raw materials from various countries to ensure the best possible outcome for his products. Sausages are trimmed and minced to a desired consistency, before the ingredients are mixed for a coarser texture or made into a fine emulsion.

Each type of meat requires a unique process to draw out its distinct flavour profile. “For hams, we begin with high-quality cuts – whether it’s legs, shoulders, or bellies – and infuse them with a secret blend of spices, phosphate, and nitrate salt for the curing process,” explains Chef Haiko.

He adds: “Once cured, it goes into a large drum where it’s tenderised and massaged to ensure even seasoning and optimal texture. It is then shaped according to whether it’s a whole ham, slice or otherwise, before it is smoked or steam-cooked.”

From a young age, 31-year-old Chef Haiko has been passionate about working in the kitchen, cooking meals and interacting with customers at his family’s fourth-generation butchery and restaurant. He recalls making sausages, hams, bacon and little German dumplings, while also helping his uncle, who owned a farm next door, with farming chores.

“After graduating from school, I decided to become a butcher, and from that moment on, I knew that would be my path,” admits Chef Haiko. “My whole childhood experience – working in the kitchen, in the restaurant, and on the farm – brought me closer to both the land and the people, and gave me a deep sense of pride in knowing exactly where the products come from and how they are made.”

Festive dining at Pan Pacific Singapore

If you prefer to leave your festive takeaway choices in the good hands of the Pan Pacific Singapore team, the Premium Christmas Bundle is a perfect choice. From a juicy Traditional Roasted Turkey to a moreish Cheese Baked Lobster Thermidor and a Festive Golden Cheese and Apple Caramel Log Cake, this is your quintessential Christmas meal, sorted.

Pacific Emporium’s dine-in menus are also a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. The vibrant restaurant – which seats up to 100 guests – does well to offer a hearty selection of international options such as a comforting pasta dish or a crisp salad bowl.

In addition, the restaurant pays homage to our island-state by tying together the flavours, aromas and cultures of Singapore in its local food options. The Peppery Bak Kut Teh, with fork-tender baby back ribs bathed in a sumptuous broth, as well as the glistening Heritage Chicken Rice are both must-tries.

Craving a little sweetness to offset those rich protein choices? Pop over to Edge for their festive buffet experience. You’ll find a stunning array of premium seafood and roasts, with the likes of Slow-Roasted Black Angus Beef Prime Ribs and Baked Sustainable Salmon Fillet with Creamy Polenta and Caviar Beurre Blanc.

If you’ve waited all year for the wonderful desserts that make the season what it is, this is where it’s at. Edge’s dessert bar, which features an impossibly moist English Christmas Fruit Cake and luscious Plum Pudding, is the ideal finish in this meal to remember.

Learn more about Pacific Emporium’s butchery counter or its dine-in offerings this festive season. Online orders are also available here.