‘The great thing about Machin’s is that everything is so personal. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Ian. He’s so passionate about where things come from and these days that’s so important as people really want to know the background of the meat they’re eating. Plus he always makes time to talk things through with you and can tell you all about cheaper cuts of meat that are coming back into fashion. We definitely need more butchers like Ian in this country!’
(Merrilees Parker)

'Visit us once and you'll come back for more....'

…says owner Ian Blandford. He trained as a Saturday boy at a butcher’s when still at school. This was followed by six years training at London’s Smithfield market which taught him all about cuts of meat and how to cook them. It’s these skills he’s passionate about passing on to you.

'We pride ourselves on getting to know our customers and finding out what they want,’ says Ian. ‘Many have been coming here for years. Others travel miles to shop here on personal recommendation. And we’re always keen to welcome new customers – once they’ve stepped inside the shop they realize they have a golden opportunity to buy all they need to create a perfect meal. And we know they’ll come back for more. We’re a traditional shop with traditional values – we know that’s what people want.'

Ian’s wife Karen is famed for her legendary smoked salmon pate, one of Machin’s topselling products. Karen also spends a lot of time behind the scenes making sure everything ticks over smoothly.

Barry Wagner is the expert sausagemaker responsible for helping Machin’s scoop top awards. The rest of the team are incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic, something Ian knows is invaluable. Two of the team are Polish. Przemyslaw (pronounced Chemlac!) Sztuba, a trained chef, has been at Machins since September 2006. Lukasz Jamczarski has been at Machin’s for three years learning his trade.