Sadness as butchers closes its doors

In previous eras, the housewife or culinary master of the household didn’t have to venture far when it came to fulfilling their shopping list in Ashford.

Grocers and latterly supermarkets were readily available in the town centre, and there was much individuality and choice to be had, unlike today.

Take the specialist trades such as butchers, bakers and greengrocers, for instance.

There were numerous stores scattered around the town as recently as the early 1990s but today, you are hard pushed to find the foodstuffs and components of a meal or weekly menu within the perimeters of the town centre, without having to venture out to one of the aircraft hangersized supermarkets which we all take for granted today.

With quite a notable absence of such high street specialisms in recent times, you would think the presence of one of these trades that many hanker after today would be welcomed with open arms and lead to a successful business but not in the case of independent butcher TK Meats in the high street, which opened less than two years ago.

The business, owned and run by experienced butcher Tony Killingbeck and supplied by reputable Canterbury wholesaler butcher Weddel Swift, opened with a view to taking the town centre market for meat and poultry by providing a quality product but sadly it wasn’t to be.

Despite trying his hardest, a long-standing fight with the valuation office over incorrect rating and the lack of footfall, saw the business close last Saturday.

Mr Killingbeck is just one of many that have fallen foul of a situation which has sadly become common practice across the town if you are a small business.

Amazingly, while there are problems in other towns up and down the country, many of these towns seem to offer more affordable rates and there is a sustainable business presence felt in these other places.

Something needs to be done to overhaul the valuation office’s archaic and inaccurate system that is frankly not fit for purpose.

It must be said that people readily blame the local authority for setting these rates, but the ruling is set by the valuation office and has nothing to do with the council.

This week’s Remember When takes a look back at a trio of the town’s long-lost butchers which many of us remember from times gone by.

■ Do you have any photographs or slides of old Ashford you would be willing to loan me to enable them to be scanned for possible feature in the Kentish Express?

Email me: rememberwhen_ kmash@hotmail.co.uk

1965 - Charles Warner the butchers/Brickies of Kent was situated in the upper high street near to the junction of New Rents. The business didn’t relocate after its premises was demolished for the Tufton Centre

1964 - Jack Guy the Pork Butcher operated from premises in Castle Street next to the Castle Hotel. The premises is now occupied by independent jeweller Topps