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Butchers meating upturn in demand
CHORLEY market butchers are cashing in on the horsemeat scandal – reporting an increase in trade and new customers.
They claim folk are losing confidence in supermarkets where they feel unsure about what they are buying.
Dave Critchley, manager of Gabbotts Farm, said: “We have seen a big increase in new customers who tell us they have lost confidence in supermarkets.
“I have a young family myself and I am very aware that people are looking for value for money but also how important traceability and knowing how fresh our food is.
“All our sausages, burgers etc are homemade, all chickens are cooked daily on the premises and we only use local suppliers for our cooked meats.
“Saturdays have especially got busier with a lot of new younger customers coming into the market.
“Chorley Council has also helped by providing free car parking on Saturday afternoons and cheap parking through the week.”
Paul and Joanne Gobin run Gobin’s family butchers.
Paul said: “We have noticed a significant increase in trade from new customers of all ages.
“We think the confidence that people get from knowing exactly what they get from us is imperative at anytime, but especially at a time when some of the larger retailers have let them down.
“People derive confidence from the fact that we are always available to answer questions from where our meat comes from to how to cook it.
“Many customers have commented on how reassuring it is to purchase their meat prepared to their specifications and not prepackaged.”
It’s the same story at Whittaker’s, who said: “We have noticed there has been an increase in trade and new customers of all ages.
“People are losing confidence with the bigger stores and are relying more on local suppliers such as ourselves.”
Coun Adrian Lowe, who oversees the markets at Chorley Council, said: “We pride ourselves on having lots of independent traders – and this goes to show the value of shopping local.
“We have excellent butchers, not just on Chorley Markets, but across the town centre and the rest of the borough and it’s great to hear that they are seeing more people turning to them as trusted places to buy their meat.”
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Weather for Chorley
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 5 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 7 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: West
