Move back to the home farm safeguards butcher jobs

Dec 2 2009 By The Journal

A FAMILY-RUN butchers is officially starting a new chapter in its 85-year history by relocating its shop to its farm to provide a more secure future for the business.

Glan Haswell Butchers Ltd is a third generation of family butchers with a shop in Silksworth, Sunderland, providing a base for trade butchers supplying meat to hotels and restaurants from beef and lamb butchered at Homer Hill Farm, Rainton Gate, Durham.

However, with changes in shopping habits resulting in reduced sales, the future of the shop and the farm business was threatened.

Regional development agency One North East’s approval of £180,000 through its Rural Development for England (RDPE) programme will fund the relocation of the butcher’s shop from Silksworth to an existing building at Homer Hill Farm, creating a new specialist butcher’s shop at the farm, safeguarding the future of both businesses while also allowing for growth, increased profits and traceability.

The project will create 12 jobs and safeguard 18 and as the farm shop will also sell other locally grown products, such as vegetables and dairy products from other existing rural producers, it will provide a knock-on effect for businesses in the region.

One North East chairman Margaret Fay officially opened the shop, and said: "The diversification of this farm will provide direct and far-reaching benefits to existing and new employees to work in the farm shop.

"The change of shop premises will also respond to consumer demand for buying local farm-reared meat where traceability and high quality are paramount.

"RDPE seeks to encourage farm diversification in this way where the benefits are not only far-reaching for the recipient but also indirect beneficiaries – in this case local producers who will supply the farm – whose businesses will also benefit, boosting the local economy."

Glan and Jean Haswell have developed their retail and wholesale butcher’s business themselves for over 30 years and have developed Homer Hill Farm over 20 years, so they have vast experience in improving their business to ensure this latest venture is a success.

Jean said: "The farm shop will focus on the renowned Haswell beef and lamb produced on our farm which will provide a unique selling point.

"The authentic relationship between home-reared animals, coupled with our reputation, location and goods on offer, provides us with real potential to succeed and grow the business so we were thrilled to receive the backing of RDPE to help us achieve our aims."

:: For further information on the full package of support, visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast  or tel: 0845 600 9 006.