Horse-meat scandal benefits Bromsgrove butchers

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BUTCHERS across Bromsgrove have reported an increase in customers who are racing into their shops to buy horse-free meat.

It comes amidst the food scandal which has rocked the nation after some ready meals, that were supposed to contain just beef, were found to have high percentages of equine meat in them.

That has benefited the town's traditional meat sellers and their increase in popularity has mimicked similar trends seen across the region and nationwide.

Partridge's Butchers in Catshill has seen both an increase in customers and produce sold.

David Partridge said: "We are the only family firm based in the town and have our own farm in Bromsgrove.

"We also have the only abattoir in Worcestershire and a ministry vet checking up that everything's done properly."

He said customers knew what they were getting from Partridges and urged people to be wary of buying cheap meat.

"Some of it on offer looks like it is being given away - but if that's the case, there's something wrong with it.

"If you were buying a £12,000 car and someone was offering it to you for £3,000, you would think something wasn't right.

"It's the same with meat."

Leigh Jones, who owns Leigh Jones Butcher's on Bromsgrove High Street, said he had seen a 15 to 20 per cent increase in customers.

"A lot of them have been joking about whether we have actually got any horse meat in, but we have also been getting a lot of questions about where our beef is from and what sort of beef it is."

He added that there had been big increases in the amount of mince and mince-based products, such as burgers.

"I think people are fed up with the supermarkets and have lost faith in them.

"They simply do not trust them anymore," he said.

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