Bexleys Press

• 20/11/08: Local Butchers Wins Coveted National Title
• 06/11/08: Meat and greet date
• 15/10/08: Can butchers make mincemeat out of competition?
• 23/05/08: Sausages plea to Old Swan from Scousers in Australia
• 21/04/08: Butchers steak their reputation on quality
• 22/11/07: Local Butchers Brings home the Bacon

Local Butchers Wins Coveted National Title

Nov 20 2008, Bexleys Press Release

Top butchers, Bexleys of Liverpool is celebrating after scooping the most coveted title within the business "Best Butcher in the UK".

The 'Butcher's Shop of the Year Awards', organised by the Meat Traders' Journal (MTJ), recognises excellence in the independent meat retail sector allowing butchers the chance to shine on a national scale.

Martin Brereton, director of Bexleys said: "We are delighted to win the top prize, last year we won the North Of England title and on the strength of that we were asked this year to supply fresh meat to the MTV awards at the Liverpool Echo arena.

"The UK title is a tremendous achievement and great testament to the quality of meat and service that we, an independent retailer, provide all of our customers both through our shop on Prescot Road, and our maill order business."

The MTJ judges awarded Bexleys the top prize due to its imaginative display of meats and its innovative marketing techniques to promote its mail order business which makes up 10% of sales.

Ed Bedington, editor of Meat Traders Journal said: "We've had some brilliant entries this year and the judges have had a hard time whittling down the entries to our shortlist of finalists, competition is so intense this year, with some superb shops for our judges to get their teeth into.

"Butchers businesses are becoming more and more sophisticated in today's market and that is reflected by the quality of the businesses entering our awards. Butchers have to compete with a wide range of other retail outlets, but it is clear to me that the sector is more than holding its own against some of its toughest rivals on the high street."

Brothers and directors, Paul and Martin Brereton, along with fellow director Ian McCormick, attended the glittering ceremony at the Sheraton Park Lane in London to collect their award.

Ian McCormick, Sales Director for Bexleys said: "We have had an outstanding year since winning Butchers Shop of the Year for the North of England 2007, and to bring back the top award this year is a sign that quality independent retail outlets still do exist on the high street. Also a huge thank you must go to our customers including all our new online customers, who are now located all over Merseyside, for their continued support this year as without them we obviously would not be in the position of representing Liverpool let alone the whole of the North West of England in this year's national awards."

The award-winning trio hope to build on their success through encouraging further sales via Bexleys online business as well as continuing its excellent customer service and its imaginative displays and promotions.

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Meat and greet date

Nov 6 2008, Liverpool Echo

An award-winning Old Swan butcher can claim to be meat purveyor to the stars after winning the contract to supply the EMAs.

Bexleys was contacted by a London catering company aftern an industry recommendation and will provide meat over nine days for the global awards.

Ian McCormick, sales director with the 2007 North of England Butchers shop of the Year, tells Insider: "To get an order of this magnitude is a real honour and it reflects the hard work that has been put into this business over the past two yeras for us to be recognised by campies from outside of Merseyside. It also goes to show how small businesses in Liverpool can really be at the forefront of being involved in these huge events, which place Liverpool firmly on the worldwide map."

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Can butchers make mincemeat out of competition?

Oct 15 2008 by Neil Hodgson, Liverpool Echo

OLD Swan butcher Bexleys aims to bring home the bacon in a national awards next month.

The Prescot Road shop has been shortlisted as one of 19 national finalists in the 2008 Butchers Shop of the Year Awards in London on November 18.

Bexleys won the top prize for the north of England last year and business director Martin Brereton said: "We hope to bring back the top award this year as a sign that quality independent retail outlets still do exist on the high street in Liverpool."

Bexleys is also expanding after buying a refrigerated storage unit on the Binns Road Industrial Estate to build its buffet and online shop business.

The Butcher’s Shop of the Year Awards give butchers the chance to shine on a national scale.

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Sausages plea to Old Swan from Scousers in Australia

May 23 2008 by Neil Hodgson, Liverpool Echo

A LIVERPOOL family butchers is trying to feed ex-pat Scousers’ taste for home – halfway round the world.

Award-winning Bexleys in Prescot Road, Old Swan, received a plea from Doris Crawford in Sydney, Australia, after she read on the ECHO website about their range of freshly prepared meats .

Doris, 64, said she was driven to email just thinking about good old homemade lip-smacking Scouse sausages.

She wrote: "Do you deliver to Australia? We have been here since 1965 and really miss the sausages. Haven’t had a decent one made here – they wouldn't know what a decent sausage tasted like. Now come on, start exporting to Sydney, you would make a bomb with all of the poms."

Doris, who emigrated from Speke in 1965 with husband John and their two-year-old son, Paul, said she always reads the ECHO website: "I check it out every day. You have to keep up with what's going on and all of the changes that are happening in the city."

And she said they really miss English food: "Oh to taste decent sausages, bacon, marrowfat peas, English chocolate – the list is endless."

She reckons an Aussie barbie with Scouse sausages would draw ex-pats from wide and far: "They would all be there, knowing they were going to get decent sausages."

Doris and her family run a small real estate business.

She added: "Give our love to all of those lovely Scousers – can’t beat them, they are the best and friendliest people in the world."

Bexleys, crowned the best butcher’s shop in the north west last year, are now looking at how they can help Doris and Sydney’s Scouse community.

Director Ian McCormick said: "We are seeking advice from couriers and transport firms to save the ex-pats from their dilemma.

"We haven’t thought about selling abroad yet, but if it is possible we will do our best. We can send food nationally in refrigerated packaging but we will have to see if it can go as far as Australia. It would be a nice touch to give Doris a real taste of home."

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Butchers steak their reputation on quality

Apr 21 2008 by Neil Hodgson, Liverpool Echo

AN OLD Swan butcher's renaissance proves there is hope for the small high street retailer in the face of supermarket domination.Bexleys in Prescot Road has doubled footfall to more than 3,500 customers per week and trebled turnover in two years - despite a giant Tesco superstore on its doorstep.

The secret, say the three directors Martin and Paul Brereton and Ian McCormick, is providing a specialist and personal service that no supermarket can match.

With 60 years' combined experience in the meat trade behind them they bought the former Clarke's family butcher's just over two years ago, fully aware of the "Tesco effect".

Martin said: "We knew we were taking over a business in decline and what we needed to do to turn it around."

They invested in a re-fit - aided by the joinery skills of 41-year-old Paul - which helped clinch the title of best butcher's shop in the north west last year.

Ian, 43, admitted: "We didn't expect to win. It was our first application so we were highly delighted when we were sitting in Claridge's in London and they shouted our name out."

Martin said: "We can't beat Tesco so we have to diversify and give a better offer."

That is reflected in their lavish shop display of traditional meat cuts, home-cooked meats, ready meals, fresh bread, fresh fruit and veg and Bexleys own brand preserves.

"Style and quality is what we are about. Our whole vision was to be modern and fresh and it seems to have worked."

The biggest seller, said Ian, is Orkney Island gold beef: "We are the only Liverpool outlet."

Martin added: "It is traditionally reared and grass-fed. Each product is certificated. We could sell cheaper beef but as soon as you put your knife through it, as a butcher you can tell the difference in quality."

A buffet service is also proving popular and they are looking for separate city centre premises to expand the offer and next month an online drive will kick in to spread Bexleys name nationwide.

Ian said: "People travel from Huyton, Kirkby and Birkenhead to shop here and we have had inquiries from Scotland and Plymouth."

Martin added: "We will have to get the packaging right, but we will use couriers and in Merseyside we will do our own personal deliveries."

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The North of England Butcher's Shop of the Year 2007

22 November 2007: Liverpool Echo

LOCAL BUTCHERS BRINGS HOME THE BACON...

Bexleys Butchers of Prescot Road, Old Swan, Liverpool, were named as the North of England Butcher's Shop of the Year in a glittering ceremony at Claridge's London, one of the world's glamorous and most famous hotels on Tuesday 20 November 2007.

The popular butchers in only its second year of business entered the prestigious meat industry competition to showcase the talent of their staff and highlight their innovative approach to offering more than you might expect from a traditional butchers. Bexleys fought off strong competition from a record number of entries in this year's contest to impress the judges and secure their prize.

Accepting the award, Business Director Martin Brereton said:

"This is a major achievement for Bexleys, The Old Swan shopping area, Liverpool and Merseyside in general. Liverpool now has the Number one butchers shop in the North of England to coincide with the Capital of Culture year of celebrations. I am so delighted for our team as we have all put in an enormous amount of hard work to help achieve this title in such a small space of time. With winning this celebrated industry award we are anticipating an increase in sales and fully expect to expand our locally based workforce."

Speaking after the awards Ian Mc Cormick Sales Director added:

"Customers have shown marvelous support in wishing us well in London and I am so proud to be bringing the trophy and the title of the Best Butchers Shop North of England back to Liverpool. This award will not only propel us onto the forefront of the high street but will benefit other local traders and businesses and will put Old Swan firmly back on the map for a great shopping experience."