WHEN it comes to buying meat, shoppers are being urged to support their local butcher as part of an annual campaign which launches next Monday.

National Butchers’ Week, now in its eighth year, aims to remind shoppers that butchers are the number one choice for range, service and convenience.

Robert Watts, owner of Peter Treble Butcher Shop in Westbourne, is keen to endorse the campaign which runs from March 23 until March 29.

He told Taste: “These campaigns are important because traditional butchers have been through a hard time over the years. But now it’s come full circle and all of a sudden supermarkets aren’t seen to be so great any more.

“People are now realising that they get better value for money and better service from their traditional local butcher. We pride ourselves on offering good quality meat. All our pork, beef and lamb comes from Dorset.”

Robert who took on the butchers’ shop in Poole Road 18 years ago, said he still enjoys his work.

“I’ve been in the business since I was 17 and I wouldn’t want to do anything else,” he added. “I love it and enjoy every day. I like the variety of the job as every day is different. We also have a laugh and a joke with our customers – there is always plenty of banter.”

Robert’s son Jacob looks set to follow in his footsteps after winning apprentice of the year at the Kingston Maurward College in Dorset.

Jacob said: “It was a nice surprise as I didn’t know anything about it. I started as a Saturday boy here so I have been helping out since I was 15. It is important to keep these skills alive.”

National Butchers' Week will be urging consumers to turn to the experts for their meat with the message that #butcherisbetter.

PANEL

Butchers throughout the UK will be holding events next week to showcase the knowledge they have to offer as well as information about getting value for money.

The emphasis of the 2015 campaign is to encourage butchers to focus on making themselves more visible to the younger age group.

According to a new survey for National Butchers’ Week, two out of ten thought that tofu was meat-based - while three out of ten admitted to having no idea how long it takes to cook a chicken.

More than half of 18-24 year olds were found to have no knowledge on how to cook a Sunday Roast.