Liverpool Butcher Crowned Best In UK

Bexleys of Liverpool was celebrating yesterday after taking the title of best butcher in the UK.

The shop beat off strong competition from award winning shops from across the UK during the awards, which are organised by the Meat Trades Journal.

Bexleys took the North of England title before going onto steal a march on its other regional rivals in a highly-fought competition to take the top title.

“We are delighted to win the top prize,” said Martin Brearton, director of the shop which was opened three years ago. “Last year we won the North Of England title and on the strength of that we were asked this year to supply fresh meat to the MTV awards at the Liverpool Echo arena.”

He and his brother Paul, along with fellow director Ian McCormick, were at the glittering ceremony at the Sheraton Park Lane in London to collect the award.

The trio now expects the title to boost turnover further. “We are the best out of all the butchers who entered the competition and we are going to make the most of our title in marketing ourselves,” said Paul.

The MTJ judges said the shop had an imaginative display of meats and made good use of marketing to promote its mail order business which makes up 10% of the shop’s sales.

Other winners on the day included Cheerbrook Quality Farm Food in Nantwich, which took the title for best Farm Shop of the Year, and Noel Chadwick, of Standish near Wigan, took the title of best Butcher’s Plus.

Ed Bedington, editor of MTJ, said: "These awards are a great way to recognise and reward some of the great business in the butchery sector. These are the businesses which are at the very top end of their game and are a great example to all in the sector. I'd like to congratulate all our winners and finalists on their success."

The awards were sponsored by EBLEX, Lucas Ingredients and Food to Go, Bizerba, Weddel Swift and Harmony Farm, the Scotch Butchers Club, the Meat Training Council, Danish Bacon & Meat Council, BPEX and Tican Chilled.