It’s been a busy start to the WeyBay year.  

At the January meeting Richard Balson from RH Balson and Sons Butchers, in Bridport.  RJ Balson and Sons is amazingly the oldest family butcher in the UK established in 1515.  Henry VIII was still married to his first wife!  Richard talked about the long history of his family butchers’ shop and how it has changed since the 16th century.  In those days farmers brought their animals to the town, and they were slaughtered and sold in the open-air market on the same day.  It is a very different marketplace today and the shop has had to change with the times and adjust to modern tastes and shopping habits.  In 2015 the shop celebrated its impressive milestone of 500 years and Richard enjoyed a year of television interviews and awards!  The talk was lively, informative and full of amusing anecdotes.  He rounded off with a busy Q&A session. The WeyBay members in the audience are all planning a visit to his shop to stock up on the selection of eighteen different sausages and other meats to support this unique shop.  Richard is donating his fee to Cancer Research which is a very personal cause to him and his wife.

Photo, Richard Balson with WeyBay President Sheila Vogwell.