I popped in to see the Ruddington Butcher, Shane White, yesterday to purchase some beautiful pork chops and a delicious, rather juicy sirloin steak. Shane must be one of the friendliest butchers in the East Midlands and the quality and price of his products are genuinely very competitive. No wonder he always has a queue out the door even on weekdays! Always there with a big smile and butchery knowledge stretching back decades, Stewart is the guy to go to when I am in need of a meaty treat for my tea.
As much as I like to chat with him and share daft butcher's tales; our chatter is often broken up by the queues he has in his shop with regular customers very keen to take advantage of his Ruddington Butcher offers. Apart from his meat products, what I like about him is his great sense of humour and his popularity is sweetly demonstrated by the collections of plastic toy farmyard animals that customers have given him since his shop opened and his business became a much needed and appreciated presence in the village. They take pride of place above his splendid displays of meat.
Ruddington village is quite a foodie collective with the excellent Glyn Thomas Greengrocer shop providing daily fresh fruit and vegetables and flowers and the ever popular Philo's Deli that sits alongside other major supermarket food outlets like the local Co-Op store and the Sainsbury Local store. We also have cafes and two bakeries and even the Perkins family hardware shop on the High Street. Perkins can supply all your baking and culinary utensils and pretty much anything to do with home and garden maintenance. @Perkinshardware on Twitter.
You really can't go wrong with such quality outlets on your doorstep. But of course this only works when they are supported by the public. The day the independent XYZ closes is the day that the public say "But, you know... I always meant to go in there..." Thankfully the village seems to be very supportive of such indi shops as Ruddington Butchers who offer such terrific service and fresh made products with a big beaming smile.
I needed some gammon today and I noticed the A board outside Shane's butchery shop. It was advertising 20% off Topside and Silverside this weekend and local sausage lovers will be salivating when they recognise that tomato and Worcester sauce, Bratwurst and red wine and garlic sausages are on offer presently.
As well as his more traditional pork sausage fare Stewart certainly likes to get creative with his sausages! Ooer missus! Today, I pay for my gammon, a pork pie and a hunk of cheese and make way for more of his eager customers to buy his products. Long may Shane White and his butchery emporium reign in our village of Ruddington. It would be a truly poorer place without the joyful experience that is our Ruddington Butchers!
