In pictures: Popular Derbyshire farm butchers branches out with new shop in Matlock

Ginger Butchers, which has a shop in Bakewell and a successful farmers’ market operation, bought up the former Hambridges Butchers premises on Bank Road in early autumn and finally completed its rebrand this week.

There are minor finishes to be applied before an official grand opening, but customers are hungrily discovering the extensive range of oven-ready ‘no mither’ meals, home-brewed marinades, cheeses, artisan breads and other Derbyshire delicatessen produce along with top-quality meat cuts, most of which come from Ginger’s own New Close Farm in Over Haddon.

Ed Armstrong, who runs the fourth-generation family business with brother Tom and mum Gill, said: “We’ve kept the traditional feel that Steve Hambridge had here for many years and just added a few 21st century things. Teatime can get a bit boring, and it’s up to us to liven it up for people.”

The business first took root near Sheffield but Ed and Tom’s grandparents bought New Close Farm in the 1970s and the family has had some kind of retail presence in the Dales ever since.

For a time, they ran the farm shop at Denby Pottery but the pandemic prompted a rethink and Gingers has bounced back by expanding its Bakewell store last year and now branching out to Matlock, all while building a new state-of-the-art cutting room and bakehouse at Over Haddon.

Ed said: “Me and Tom have got the drive to grow the business, and the right people in place to do it. Paul who will be managing the Matlock shop has been a butcher for many years and used to work for our uncle, and the rest of the team have been working with us in Bakewell for a while.

“Having the right people is so important – knowing they’ve got the same vision, care and pride that we have for the business.”

He added: “We’ve always attracted customers from further afield through the farmers’ markets which mum has run since the ‘90s in places like Belper and Ripley, so they’ll have a little less further to travel now, and we’re the only butchers actually in Matlock town centre.

“The new shop is smaller than Bakewell but we’ll be filling the counter with all our best-sellers and the same offers like three products for £12. When you venture somewhere new you’re always wondering how it will be received by local people, but the uptake so far has been very positive.”

The family’s loving care is evident in mouth-watering creations such as the beef en croutes and truffles, pork and lamb pin wheels, a plethora of pie varieties and the Scotch eggs which Ed crafts personally.

There is also a discerning choice of suppliers such as Jacksons bakery in Chesterfield and Winnothdale Prime, the oldest turkey farmers in the UK who will be fulfilling orders for free range Christmas birds.

Ed said: “We’re taking orders online or people can come in and fill out a form. If anyone’s unsure about things like size and weight, we can talk through all that – let’s keep it ginger this Christmas.”

To browse the online range and order, go to gingerbutchers.co.uk.

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