With bare shelves a common sight in supermarkets and the government’s strict measures to urge people to stay at home, some Welsh butchers have taken on the responsibility of carrying out home deliveries and meeting the needs of many of our communities.

While major retailers are struggling to meet high demand, local butchers have stepped in to help the vulnerable and those who cannot leave their homes due to the current Coronavirus crisis affecting the country.

Hybu Cig Cymru – Meat Promotion Wales (HCC) has seen a spike in the number of its Butchers’ Club members now offering online sales or home deliveries, with it proving to be a lifeline to many.

Working together with other local shops and businesses in the area, Catherine Butler of Hugh Phillips Gower Butchers said: 

“We’re all pulling together in our community.  We, as small, usually family-run businesses, have known our customers for many years – they’ve supported us over the years so it’s time for us to support them. We’re offering this service to everyone – it doesn’t matter if they’re a regular customer of ours or new to the service, we are here to help.  We’ve also made sure that all of our delivery drivers follow the 2 metre distancing advice and will leave the delivery on the doorstep.

“Our family have been in the butchery business for many years and we’ve never seen anything like this.  It’s really frustrating to hear of some people stockpiling and clearing the shelves in supermarkets, leaving barely anything for anyone else – after all, we’re all in this together. So we thought we’d do what we could to deliver to those households and individuals who can no longer get out let alone buy even the essentials.”

Rhys Llywelyn, Market Development Manager at HCC, added,

“It’s heartening to see butchers playing a key role in what is a very difficult time for so many people. Shops like these have always been at the heart of the local community and they play a vitally important role in sustaining the local economy by providing quality, locally sourced and sustainable food.”

A full list of HCC Butchers’ Club shops can be found on their website: eatwelshlambandwelshbeef.com