LOCAL PRODUCER
“It was,” says Malcolm Pyne, without the least hint of nostalgia in his voice, “a bit like working in a wardrobe.” He was speaking of his old premises: a tiny butcher’s shop in the main street of North Petherton, near Bridgwater. It was opened by his parents, Phil and Beryl, nearly 30 years ago but by 2010 could no longer accommodate the successful business the family had created.
It had been named the best butcher’s shop in southern England but dealing with such a huge volume of trade with 11 staff was becoming impossible. “We almost had to take it in turns to
breathe,” said Malcolm. That is history. The present for Pyne’s of Somerset is a new regional food store with butchery as its centrepiece set alongside the A38, just outside the village where everything started.
The new shop sits at the entrance to Sedgemoor Auction Centre just off the motorway. It has also just been named the best butcher’s not merely in the south but in the entire country in the annual awards sponsored by Meat Trades Journal. “I knew we were in the last three,” said Malcolm, who attended the event with his wife, Julie. “But when they announced we were the winners I was simply knocked out. I really did not know what to say for once.” Rarely was such an award more deserved. In their new business Malcolm and Julie have created an attractive retail space with ample room to wander amongst an impressive range of delicacies sourced from across the region. Julie’s marketing experience with Sainsbury’s proved invaluable in designing the shop, where products are laid out in well-defined sections. Apart from the butchery it offers fresh fish brought up daily from Brixham; a range
42 | THE WEST COUNTRY FOODLOVER
A cut above THE REST
PYNE’S OF SOMERSET, A SECOND GENERATION
FAMILY-RUN BUTCHERS, STANDS AS A TRUE SOUTH WEST SUCCESS STORY. WHEN THE NEW STORE WAS OPENED JUST OUTSIDE OF BRIDGWATER IN
LATE 2011 THERE WAS LITTLE INCLINATION OF THE RECOGNITION IT WOULD RECEIVE…
of smoked fish products; local cider from the Hecks family in Street; fruit, vegetables, preserves; tea and coffee from D J Miles, of Minehead – all from suppliers who have already built their reputations on quality.
“I didn’t want it to be just a farm shop,” said Julie. “There are plenty of those
around, some good and some not so good. What this is doing is using the quality of the surroundings to underline and reinforce the message about the quality of the food we sell. It’s taking the concept of a farm shop one step further, and we know from the feedback we are already getting that we’ve got the formula right.”
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