Meat Market in Brandon celebrates 50th anniversary

Brandon’s popular Meat Market butchers has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

New owner Cijay Rissen, 31, who took over the business in April, started working at the shop as an apprentice aged just 14.

The High Street butchers was opened in late October, 1965, by brothers Peter and Frank Curtis and later run by Tracey Russell who took over in 1990.

Cijay said: “We literally butcher the same way Peter did when the shop opened.

“Nothing arrives in boxes, we get the animals from local farms within 10 to 15 miles of the shop.

“Reaching 50 years is a very proud moment for us - this butchers is part of Brandon.

“It is always about quality for me.

“I am a foodie person myself so have a lot of respect for where the meat has come from and how the animals have been kept. I like animals so I like to see that the animals are treated very well .

“I also like to have a close relationship with my farmers.

“I think it reflects on the quality of the shop.”

Moving forward, Cijay said he wanted to widen the scope of the business - creating more easy-to-cook meals and pies.

“I hope it will become a family butchers and to pass it on to my two boys one day ,he said.

“They are still quite young but seem quite keen.

“I already homemade steak and ale and lamb and mint pies.”

“In the future we would like to do more oven ready meals like stuffed chicken breasts or oven roasts.”