'We'll tell you where every piece of meat comes from' - North Devon butchers
Traditional businesses are continuing to boast of the benefits of meat from lifestock reared on local green pastures.
Devon butchers Shapland & Searle and SA Edwards promise customers they can trace every item they stock in counters back to farms, dairies and other suppliers in the region.
They pride themselves on selling meat only from trusted sources of consistently high quality and at a price their customers can afford.
Both businesses are supporting the Western Morning News Buy Local campaign, revived last month to encourage people to buy produce from Devon and Cornwall.
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John Searle, of Shapland & Searle, said: "Traditional butchery is done the old-fashioned way, like making your own sausages. We're doing things exactly the same way as we did when we started."
The 31-year-old business in South Molton has a loyal customer base and is one of only a few surviving butchers in the area.
Mr Searle said: "I started butchery aged 13, delivering meat on a push bike. There were five butchers in South Molton and now there's only two. It's been sad to see them close down."
"If the customers continue to trust us, we've got a future. Some have them have been coming here for decades and decades. When I retire, I hope to pass the business on to the young ones."
Their promise of traceability and affordability is similarly reflected at SA Edwards at Brickyard Farm near Hatherleigh.
Adrian Edwards said: "We pride ourselves on having locally sourced meat, which also helps to minimise food miles. The animal over the hedge in the next field could end up on my shelves."
"Meat constantly gets a bad press. It's more expensive than it was, but even with rising costs you can get a strong return for your investment. For example, we offer a week's worth of meat for a £20 note – that's an assortment of seven items for two people."
The farm shop can lay claim to having some of the best bacon in the South West, after winning gold and a champion title at a pork excellence awards last year.
Like John Searle, Mr Edwards has noticed an upward turn in trade since horsemeat was first detected in beef and other meat products available in supermarkets, schools and hospitals.
He said: "People wanting to make their own meals are buying minced beef, pork and lamb more than ever. Good quality food using meat from butchers like ourselves can take the minimum amount of thought and planning. I like to give people advice about how to cook the meat too."
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