Butcher Display Battle

Since the uproar came to a head in recent weeks, when anonymous letters were sent and a local newspaper was contacted, JBS Family Butchers have removed the display and replaced it with a sign which said, “Due to complaints there is no window display”. The incident has called into question the importance of provenance for consumers, and whether there is a divide between those based in urban and rural areas.

Michael Richardson of EBLEX, the organisation for British beef and sheep industry, said, “I don’t think this is a common issue – it’s difficult to say why people would be so strongly offended by it. If you want to have a traditional display, and more importantly your customers want to see that, then there’s no reason not to do it. It demonstrates that the business gets in a whole-carcass supply which is more likely to come from a known supplier such as a farm. This means that you’re getting an understanding of provenance which is particularly reassuring from a shopper’s point of view.

“If your customers don’t want to see it, don’t do it. I don’t think it’s very common to see carcasses in the window these days, but if its something that your customers respond to and it tells the story of the process I don’t see why it would be a problem. We do a lot of work regarding consumer education and raising awareness of where meat comes from, and butchers have told me that consumers respond brilliantly to being taught about where their meat comes from. Ultimately, butchers need to tailor their displays to what their customers want.”

Ivan Kerridge, owner of I H Kerridge in Nayland, Suffolk said, “We don’t display carcasses in our window – I’m not in favour of showing the heads of animals as I don’t think it’s necessary in this day and age to display meat as a carcass. We display cut meat in the counter and people recognise it perfectly. I don’t think we’d lose customers if we displayed the carcasses, as we’re based in a rural area and our customers understand where their meat comes from, but I can imagine this being an issue in more urban areas.”