A small family butcher's business in Rothbury, Northumberland, has received national recognition for its marketing and professional skills from two separate sources within a few days of each other.
First, Morris Adamson, who set up Rothbury Family Butchers in May 2000, was sent an email out of the blue by a university lecturer from the University of Nottingham, asking permission to use the business as an example of how to create a successful brand using the internet, and second the Guild of Q Butchers awarded the butcher all A grade marks in a new auditing system for quality, hygiene and customer service. "Being a member of the Guild allows you to promote your shop as one of Britain's best," said Morris this week.
The email request came from Dr Stephen Ramsden, at the University of Nottingham's Division of Agricultural Sciences. He is an Associate Professor in Management and was preparing to give a lecture in agricultural food marketing. As someone who comes originally from Dalton-on-Tees and who studied Agriculture at Newcastle University, Dr Ramsden knows a thing or two about Northumbrian Lamb. But he was very surprised when he put the words into Google and the name Rothbury Butchers came up. He wrote to Morris: "Your website looks good and it struck me that your business would be an excellent example for the students."
Morris readily agreed to the request and was quick to pass on his thanks to his Rothbury neighbours, the creative marketing agency, Lazy Grace, who produced the website for Rothbury Family Butchers.
The website was designed by James Hole and developed by Paul Davidson, both of Alnwick. Paul said: "We are delighted for Morris. He not only runs an award-winning butcher's business in Rothbury but he was quick to realise he could reach an audience way beyond the boundaries of Coquetdale through having an effective website. It has proved a great selling tool for his business."
Dr Ramsden says his students could learn a lot from Morris's marketing skills which he uses in selling local pork, beef, poultry and lamb, and producing a wide and interesting range of homemade sausages, which have won national gold awards.
"I have a team of students looking at marketing of local meat products – mainly game and exotic meats - and Rothbury Family Butchers is a useful example to follow," he said
