Horse meat scandal brings welcome boost in trade for Ely butcher

AN Ely butcher has had a welcome boost in trade in the wake of the horse meat scandal that has rocked supermarkets in recent weeks.

Joyce and Rayment, in Market Street, has seen a 20 per cent rise in customers since news of the contamination of certain beef products with up to 100 per cent horse meat broke a fortnight ago.

Supermarkets including Tesco, Iceland, Asda and Aldi have all been forced to take products off the shelves because of the scandal and customers appear to have turned their back on the big retailers in favour of their local butcher.

Lawrence Rayment, who has been a butcher for more than 30 years, said: “We have seen an increase of at least 20 per cent in the last few weeks and the majority of customers have made reference to the uncertainty over horse meat and what is in their food.

“The difference between us and the supermarkets is that we can tell you exactly where our meat came from, right down to which farm it was born in. We even get meat from as locally as Wilburton and we know where it was slaughtered.”

On Monday, Mr Rayment even went to inspect a slaughterhouse that was due to start supplying him with meat.

He added: “All our products, pies and sausage rolls are made with the meat we bring in so we know it is all good quality produce.”