Old Swan meat specialists Bexleys proved themselves to be a cut above the rest as they won ‘North of England Butcher Shop of the Year 2018’.
Bexleys, who also have stores in Huyton, Tuebrook, Dobbies Speke and Carr Farm in Meols, fought off immense competition to win the award, and were also finalists for innovation of the year for their meal plan range at the annual ceremony in London.
Ian McCormick, butcher and area manager for Bexleys, has worked for the company since it was established in 2005 and collected the awards on the night, surrounded by hundreds of his contemporaries from all across the UK.
He told JMU Journalism: “We are absolutely thrilled to bits to win and to bring the title back into Liverpool. We are really really proud of what we have achieved. A lot of hard work has certainly paid off.”
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Increased competition and the takeover of the online markets has harmed many of the country’s high streets. Mr McCormick hopes that winning the award will help to prevent the city’s high streets from dying off.
He said: “We are trying to get our business back in the eyes of the media and social media to drum up the high street because we know the high street is having a difficult time at the moment.”
The shop won butcher of the year for the whole of the UK 10 years ago. Mr McCormick said: “Going forward it is definitely something which we want to win. At some point in the next five years we will go back in for butcher shop of the year for the UK.”