Shropshire butchers cash in on horse meat scandal
Butchers across Shropshire are cashing in on the horse meat scandal, with some independent retailers reporting a 300 per cent increase in their sales.
Customers across the county are turning their backs on the large supermarket chains after reports found some items such as Findus lasagne, Tesco beef burgers and some products in Aldi contained up to 100 per cent horse meat.
It came as Environment Secretary Owen Paterson told the House of Commons it appeared 'criminal activity' had been at the heart of the scandal.
Addressing MPs last night, he pledged there would be immediate testing of products across the supply chain including checks at schools, hospitals and prisons. Food retailers will have to test their meat products by Friday so results can be published.
He had earlier warned legal action could be mounted in Europe over the contamination of beef products, describing it as 'a fraud against the public'.
Butchers in Shropshire are benefiting. Scott Shepley, from Shepley's butchers in Market Drayton, said he sold about 400lbs of mince at the weekend compared to the usual 125lbs.
And burger sales are up to about 600 per week, numbers normally only reached at the height of summer.
Mr Shepley said: "This week has started off really well.
"There were a lot of new customers at the market on Saturday and people are coming in because they know we buy beef from the local cattle market and from local farmers."
Keith Jones has worked at Hodgkins Butchers in Scotland Street, Ellesmere, for 35 years.
He said sales had increased by 50 per cent and compared the situation to the threat of BSE (Mad Cow Disease) in the 1990s when people paid more attention to what they were buying.
Sue Clarke, from the Churncote Farm Shop and Butchery in Bicton Heath, Shrewsbury, said: "We are seeing a lot of new faces. There has been a lot of people concerned and going back to traditional butchers. The majority of our meat comes from the farm."
