The rise of the meat megamarket

Gary Walker opened his Town and Country Meat Megastore in the Black Country just last week – and welcomed more than 3,700 customers in his first two days.

His business in Stafford Road, Wolverhampton, is one of a string of cheap and cheerful 'megamarkets' to spring up in the region recently, selling meat at wholesale prices and going all out to get customers through the doors.

Among his offers is a fillet of beef for around £8 per kilo – selling a whole 2.5 kilo fillet for £20.

By comparison, at Robinson's Butchers in Tettenhall's traditional High Street, a kilo of premium fillet steak costs £42.50.

Since Mr Walker launched his venture, he has been employing staff to drum up business by the roadside dressed in cow, chicken and pig costumes advertising his latest promotions.

The butcher, who also owns Town and Country Meats wholesale outlet in Landport Road, off the city's Bilston Road, opened the new £250,000 store on Friday, creating 26 jobs.

In Cannock, the Whitehouse Brothers Butchers opened a new meat market shop in Walsall Road before Christmas, following the same trend. "We get the meat directly from the suppliers who also sell to the big supermarkets," said Mr Walker today.

"We generally get the residual bits that are left as it's cheaper – for example if a supermarket has an offer on one kind of steak and is selling less of another, we'll take the other," said the 34-year-old from Wolverhampton.

"It means what we offer changes every week."

He said by buying meat such as legs of lamb in bulk, then dividing it up into retail-size portions themselves, they can save around £2.50 per leg, which is passed straight to the customer.

This is helped by a £52,000 new packing machine, meaning the store can wrap its own portions instead of having to turn to an outside firm. "It's all about getting the wholesale product to the customer in a retail-sized package," added Mr Walker.

Andy Whitehouse, aged 43, from Hednesford, opened The Whitehouse Brothers Meat Market on December 1, creating 17 jobs.

"People are coming to me rather than supermarkets – we get around 1,000 people through the door every Saturday," he said.

"They are getting the same quality of product but at a more affordable price. This is definitely the way forward. I wish I had done this 20 years ago – I would be a very rich man by now."

He too said he gets the best deals by buying in bulk – and has even started branching out into catering wedding parties, offering the cut-price meat, cooked for £1 per platter, plus the shelf price of the meat.

Among his offers is a 4lb sirloin steak for £10, and legs of pork for 99p per pound.

But according to butcher Stephen Robinson, aged 50, who runs Robinson's Butchers in Tettenhall High Street, while many people might be attracted by the allure of cheap meat, many preferred to shop for quality.

"Essentially, they are selling a different product to us. It looks very cheap and the meat quality usually matches that," he said.

"There will always be a market for cheaper foods, especially in a spending climate like this. But we can offer a premium product. We know where all the cattle come from, and we know that they are farmed properly and well looked-after."

He said sales had actually increased over the past two years by around 15 per cent.

"We have a loyal customer base and we offer a range of products these places don't such as lasagne, beef bourguignon and 30 different kinds of cheeses," he added.