As a fine food distributor, Cotswold Fayre has many products suitable for butcher shops.  There are just under 6,000 butchers in the UK, and many of them just sell meat.  There is a large opportunity for them to increase their customer’s basket spend by stocking some meat accompaniments.  This is not as difficult as they may imagine.  Through using a butcher supplier like Cotswold Fayre, butcher shops can have a whole range of suitable butcher shop products to back up their meat sales.

That butchers should be trying to sell more to those customers coming through the door is more relevant now than it was in 1990 when there were 15,000 butchers in the UK.  Why?  Well those consumers that buy from independent butchers tend to be ABC1 consumers, who are looking for quality.  They are more likely to buy speciality food accompaniments, which as available from a butcher shop wholesaler, like Cotswold Fayre.

An obvious butcher shop product would be stocks and gravies.  Essential Cuisine has been a producer of these type of products for 21 years, when Nigel Crane created a range of quick-to-use premium foodservice products for professionals to use in their restaurants.  With many home cooks wanting to produce restaurant quality food at home, in 2010, Essential Cuisine formed a retail division. 

Their most recent range of products, available from Cotswold Fayre, and other meat trade suppliers are a range of four gluten-free liquid concentrated stocks.  “The majority of people who visit butchers are truly home cooks,” explains Jeremy Palmer, CEO. “You’ve got a real home cook customer there, and we feel that the customer deserves a bloody good stock! This is something that really does make a difference to your dish – customers are naturally going to reach out for a modern looking product that suits all kinds of cooking.”

“Independent shop clientele will appreciate the flavour-forward and authentic character of the new range”, says Jeremy. “These stocks really do boast a top-quality taste,” he says. “I believe that if you’re going to use a shop-bought stock, then at least use one that will make a difference to your dishes, and one that should taste exactly how a homemade stock should.”

Clearly stocking products like this that the consumer may not be familiar with may require a few in-store tastings at the butcher shop, but this is something that a premium food wholesaler can arrange for you.

Curry is one of the UK’s most loved dishes and there are many curry-related products available from a spice and sauce distributor, like Cotswold Fayre.  In fact this is probably the area with most choice within the meat accompaniment supplier’s portfolio.  Did you know that Chicken Tikka Marsala took over from Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding as the national dish three years ago?

One of these brands is Shemin’s, whose products have won 8 Gold Stars in the Great Taste Awards.  They are a chilled product and made with fresh herbs and spices, so will require storing within a fridge at the butcher shop.  However, many butchers have an open-fronted fridge in-store containing other products, such as packed sausages.

Inspired by memories of growing up in Uganda, Shemin created a range of fresh and authentic Indian and Thai Curry Pastes and high-quality Spice Blends. The BBC even made a video showing the celebrity chef James Martin eulogising over the product.

Shemin’s Curry Pastes are created with the perfect balance of fresh herbs and fragrant spices to give an exceptional flavour and wonderful aroma to home cooked curries. You can “Curry on Like a Pro” with Shemin's and whip up anything from a fiery Jalfrezi to a creamy Korma in just minutes, with delicious, easy to cook and healthy recipes included in the packs. See the Curry on Like a Pro videos. All their products are suitable for #butchers and are supported by point-of-sale collateral such as recipe cards and booklets as well as in-store demonstrations.

Recently winning 3 Gold Stars at the Great Taste Awards 2017, Shemin’s artisan Spice Blends are high quality, uniquely blended spice mixes introduced to critical acclaim. The blends enable you to explore the wonderful flavours and aromas of the globe with your own cooking - comprising of Garam Masala, Jerk, Cajun, Tandoori, Ras El Hanout, BBQ, Peri Peri and Harissa.

Here is one comment we found on their Facebook page: “What can I say, this is an excellent company products are great. Never will I buy a curry again I can make all I ever need from the products from this company. It is a true revelation when you make a true curry from scratch. Excellent communication, great service, my fridge will always be stocked with all the products.”

Cotswold Fayre has a number of other chilled products available to butchers across most of the UK with a low minimum order value.

Click here to view our online butcher shop range.