Investment marks 50 years in Comrie
Open day at butcher’s shop to celebrate milestone
A significant milestone in the history of a long-established Strath business is to be celebrated at the weekend.
Traditional family butcher David Comrie & Son is this year marking 50 years based at its shop on Drummond Street in Comrie.
The firm was established in 1835, initially in Muthill and then moving to Crieff before settling into its current home.
Owner Murray Lauchlan is the seventh generation of his family to work in the highly-skilled trade.
The local businessman explained the firm was looking to the future and that a wideranging refit of the shop has been completed in time for a special open day marking the halfcentury anniversary, which is to take place from 8am until 4pm on Saturday this week.
He said: “To celebrate 50 years in Comrie, we have just completed a refit of the shop, which is an investment for the future.
“The cabinet which forms the main feature of the new shop is very much green in its power consumption, while we’ve also installed low energy lighting and the latest in Italian design features.”
Although new product lines are being added, tradition remains at the heart of how David Comrie & Son operates, with Murray and the team attending local markets and farms as part of a strong desire to support Scottish agriculture.
Murray commented: “Buying the right cattle, sheep and pigs in the first place is where the skill element of my job starts.
“Maturing the carcasses, judging the readiness of each piece, then finally butchering, cutting and trimming is all important – as is the presentation, hence our new cabinet trays and lighting plan designed to enhance the shopping experience.
“Yet, in the middle of all of this, we as butchers perform our craft – that is what our trade has become recognised as – which is constantly evolving, taking our imagination and skills to new levels.
“I’m always looking for recipes, whether it be for a pie, a sausage, or a cut of meat I can make into a tasty product.”
Deliveries using a refrigerated van are something David Comrie & Son has always undertaken but the service has become “even more important” as a result of issues associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Murray.
Reflecting on the previous 12 months, he went on: “During the pandemic working, schooling and cooking at home has allowed cooking meals from scratch to become a family activity, encouraging children in particular to ask questions about where their food comes from and if they can try making things.
“As butchers, we are seeing a growing demand for what we term the ‘ raw ingredient’ meats – those used as a base for favourite meals, such as minced meats, stewing meats, diced or sliced meats for a stir fry, curry, stroganoff or simple mince and tatties.
“Home deliveries by our refrigerated van, or further afield by courier, is something ‘Comrie butchers’ have always done.
“These deliveries have been even more important over these last 12 months, allowing longstanding and new customers to receive our products direct to their door.”
• For more information on the open day, see www. comriebutchers.co.uk or search for the company on Facebook.