Town butcher thrives during market rebuild
AFAMILY-RUN butchers is to remain open throughout work taking place to transform Southport Market.
Blackhurst Butchers, which has been at the heart of the historic building for the past 45 years, will take pride of place in the new-look facility.
Building work started on November 2 to redevelop
Southport Market into a stylish food, drink and events hub, in a £1.4m scheme.
It has been made possible thanks to £900,000 Government funding through the Southport Town Deal and £500,000 through the Liverpool City
Region.
Blackhurst Butchers will keep its doors open with its current trading hours both through the building work and through the second Covid lockdown this month, as they are classed as an “essential business”. Screens have been put up to protect the firm from building work.
The business prides itself on sourcing the very best British produce, from Cumbrian beef, to Welsh lamb and English pork.
Blackhurst launched a new app earlier this year while customers can also order via phone or through their website, with a home delivery service meaning people can be served from the safety of their own homes.
The business also operates its own click and collect service, meaning that people who order through the app or the website can turn up to the market and wait outside while staff bring their food to the car window.
Owner Tony Blackhurst said:
“It’s noisy around here at the moment with the builders in!
It’s all systems go!
“We are operating the same opening hours as we always do, 9am-5pm Monday to Saturday. It’s business as usual.
“We are going to be working right through November and
December, and throughout building work ahead of the brand new Southport Market work being completed next spring. We are already taking Christmas orders.
“We also have our brand new app and our website and our home delivery service to make it easier for our customers to browse through everything we have and order with ease.
“But it is still nice to see people! We are still here for anyone who is in town.
“We can also do a click and collect service for people, we will bring orders out to people’s cars outside the market. They can just call us when they are outside.
“A few people have been phoning us to ask if we are still going to be open, but we definitely are!
“Some customers have even been in to stock up. One lady loves our new Caribbean chicken so much she came in to buy five portions to freeze down in her freezer! We are seeing people putting in bigger orders this week.”
Over the last five decades Tony and his family have enjoyed welcoming a regular stream of loyal customers calling in for their top quality local British produce, award winning sausages, legendary steaks and home prepared meals.
When the coronavirus pandemic struck in March Blackhurst Butchers quickly launched a home delivery service, ensuring they delivered to customers within a six-mile radius including Southport, Banks, Formby, Scarisbrick and Halsall. The phones never stopped ringing.
Southport Market’s reopening is scheduled for spring 2021.
The £1.4m redesign and refurbishment of the town centre market site will create a modern food and drinks space, along with a flexible events and market area with the ability to host casual markets.
The new-look market will be an all year-round attraction with space for up to ten delicious food and drinks units.
Acting as a catalyst for the regeneration of Southport and surrounding area, and providing a vital boost to the local economy and continued regeneration of Southport’s market quarter and King Street, the market will also include units for fresh produce stalls.
Tony Blackhurst is excited at the prospect of the new-look market opening in spring.
He said: “I am looking forward to it! It is going to need support from people to make it work, and hope people come out and give it a try. Fingers crossed!”
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