Britain’s longest serving butcher gives it the chop
Pat, 85, is retiring after 66 years
People have gone off meat, it is not in vogue.. but we have regulars who kept us going PAT JENKINS WHO IS CLOSING FAMILY BUTCHERS AFTER 66 YEARS
BRITAIN’S longest-serving butcher is finally hanging up her cleaver after 66 years serving her community.
Pat Jenkins, 85, has worked continuously in her late father’s butchers shop Mason’s since 1958.
The pensioner said the rise of veganism and the pressure on people to eat less meat has led custom to drop off by a third in the past decade.
But she is reluctantly retiring as the lease on her shop is due for renewal and she would have to commit to 10 more years. By then she would be aged 95.
Pat, who closes for the last time today, said: “I never would’ve thought that when I first started working here all those years ago I would still be doing it well into my 80s.
“I don’t want to retire just yet but the timing makes sense. I don’t think I can still do it at 95.
“I will be bored out of my head and I am looking at situations vacant to see if there is something else I can do.”
Pat’s father Albert Musselwhite took over the family business, Mason’s Butchers, in 1945 from the previous owner, Mr Mason.
Because everyone knew it as Mason’s he kept the name.
Albert died in 1973, and Pat took over the business. Her son Andrew joined her in 1981 and he still works there at the age of 60. He has re-trained as a gas engineer.
During her time she has dealt with decimalisation, the mad cow disease crisis and the rise of veganism.
Mason’s used to be one of 11 independent butchers on the threemile stretch of Christchurch Road in Bournemouth, Dorset, but is now the last one standing. Pat said: “The business has changed a lot over the years. Years ago meat was the thing to have, everyone had their meat and two veg with every meal and had roasts twice a week.
“But people have gone off it. It’s not in vogue. It has had some bad publicity and people now think it is not good for you or the planet. “Veganism and vegetarianism is the hot topic with younger people. It seems that each generation coming up is less meat-orientated. “But we have regular customers who have kept us going.”
Pat also said the rise of supermarkets had hit high streets. She said: “Now it’s just estate agents and beauty salons.”