The oldest independent shop still in operation in Middleton-in-Teesdale is preparing for a significant anniversary next year.
McFarlane Family Butchers will mark 25 years since it came under ownership of popular shopkeeper Alastair McFarlane.
Previously, he and brother Stuart had worked for Tarn & Son Butchers in Barnard Castle. In 2002, Tarn opened a shop in Middleton-in-Teesdale.
Alastair said: “In 2002 we had a chance to buy the business. It was a bit of a learning curve, but there are no regrets at all.”
Stuart took over the Barney shop and Alastair the one in Middleton.
He describes the best part of being in the shop is the “craic with all our customers” and “we have a lot of laughs”.
He added: “We have a very loyal customer base. We get a lot of customers from further afield such as Durham and Sunderland because there are not many independent butchers left, it is mainly supermarkets.
“We also get tourists and caravanners coming in.”
All the meat is sourced as “local as we can possibly get it”, as are the deli items, which include Cotherstone cheese, the ever-popular Taylors of Darlington pies and preserves from Calders Kitchen and Mrs Darington.
As part of its community involvement, the businesses support local good causes and regularly contributes prizes to help with fundraising for the Great North Air Ambulance Service, as well as agricultural shows at Langdon Beck and High Force and some coffee mornings.
The shop is also a regular participant in the annual window-dressing competition for the village carnival.
He said: “We’ve done it for a few years. We had some Wallace and Gromit dummies and of course it is voted by the kids and they all loved it.
“We won two or three years in a row, but haven’t won since. That’s what I tell everybody.”
Alastair is keeping his plans for the landmark quarter-century anniversary under his butcher’s hat for now.
