Ormskirk butchers enjoying surge in demand after horsemeat scandal

Feb 21 2013 by Rob Pattinson, Ormskirk Advertiser

ORMSKIRK butchers have revealed how trade is soaring as a result of the horsemeat scandal.

David Olverson-Birks, a partner at Scotts butchers on Church Street, said: “In the last fortnight trade has gone up by 25 to 30%.

“On Saturday we couldn’t keep up with the demand. “People aren’t happy about horsemeat being in the food chain. They only really use supermarkets for convenience and are coming to us now, young families who haven’t used us before. It’s top quality meat and a one-to-one service and nothing beats that.”

Scotts source their beef from farms in Wigan that they have been using for 30 years.

Explaining his suspicions with the mass-processed market, David said: “We have always wondered how can you produce meat so cheaply. We thought there had to be something in the food chain that wasn’t right – either poorer quality beef or something like this.”

Mark Shepherd, of Broughs Butchers on Burscough Street, said: “The last three weeks have been phenomenal. All our beef is British and from Yorkshire. We go down to the farm once a year and any questions our customers have we can answer. People have a right to know what they are eating.

“This [scandal] does make you wonder what else is in some of those products though. “I would think this has been going on a lot longer than just the last few months – you look at packs of beef burgers being sold for £1. With your butcher you know what you are getting and its the service too.”