Staff shocked as string of butcher shops face chop amid rising costs

The sudden closure of several butcher shops across Fife has shocked staff. All of the Minick of St Andrews shops are either closing or transferring to new owners, The Courier can reveal.

Butcher Stuart Minick established the chain in 2010 and it grew to 10 shops across Fife and Tayside as well as a processing plant at Abernethy.

The first sign of trouble came last month when the company announced the closure of its Perthshire and Angus shops in Coupar Angus, Scone and Kirriemuir.

A post on the Minick of St Andrews Facebook page said this “difficult decision” was “due to increased costs and a downturn in trade”.

Staff have only recently been informed that all the remaining shops would close.

The outlets at Broughty Ferry, Cupar and Newport were acquired by Colin Nicoll Butcher at the end of last week. Staff also moved across.

The Ladybank shop has closed. Anstruther and Kirkcaldy will close today.

The St Andrews shop is due to close next Saturday.

Staff in these shops will be made redundant.

There was no sign of activity at the Abernethy processing plant when The Courier visited, with equipment and rubbish left outside its closed shutters.

Staff across the sites that remain open told of their surprise at the closures.

One member of staff said: “We only found out last week but there were rumours across the group the week before that.

“It is surprising – the shops have always traded well and are busy.

“We don’t know why the company is being wound down.”

Another said: “I was only told a week ago via WhatsApp that the shop is shutting. It’s been a shock and I’m now looking for another job.”

The shops in Kirriemuir, Coupar Angus, Scone and Broughty Ferry were all acquired in the last two years.

Another worker said: “We were just told our shop would be shutting last week. During Covid we were really busy and that’s why he expanded.

“I personally think the company got too big, too quickly and the price of meat has really increased.”

It is understood the Kirriemuir and Kirkcaldy shops will reopen under new owners.

Prospective buyers have also looked at Anstruther and St Andrews in the last week.

Mr Minick, 61, went into business with his father Arthur Minick in 1982 when they started A Minick & Son in his home town of Tayport.

When his father had a stroke in 2001 he sold the shop and became butchery manager for Co-Op in Cupar.

He has also worked in the trade in England before establishing Minick of St Andrews in 2010.

The butcher won awards for its haggis, mince round and steak and gravy pies.

Mr Minick’s wife Margaret is also a director in some of the limited companies linked to the operation.

In a statement to The Courier the couple said: “Due to a downturn in trade and an increase in costs, the business has run into some problems.

“We are currently taking advice.”

I was told a week ago via WhatsApp that the shop is shutting

DIVERSITY: Back in 2020, business owner Stuart Minick was sending out “coronavirus deliveries” from his Cupar shop. Picture by Mhairi Edwards.