New lease of life for Thurso butcher shop
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A LONG-established Thurso butcher's shop is to take on a new lease of life.
A &E Harrold's premises in High Street have been purchased by the Thurso Foot Clinic – but will be remaining as a butcher's for up to a year.
John Logue, of JPL Shellfish of Scrabster, is renting the building from the new owners and will be based there until his new butcher's shop is built beside the fish shop at the harbour.
Mr Logue said: "We are renting the premises for between six and 12 months until we construct a new butcher shop. It will be under the same roof as our fish shop – A Mackay’s old one.
"We have kept on one member of [the High Street] staff but we have also employed a new butcher and apprentice to work alongside them and also two new serving staff for the front shop. Our staff have been trained by Allan [Harrold] for the last month and he is here this week too, and then will continue to advise and guide us on a consultation basis only."
Mr Logue said the shop will be run on similar lines to Harrold's. "Most importantly we will continue to purchase and slaughter top-quality Caithness cattle from the Coghills at Skinnet. Allan has kindly passed on and trained our staff on all his favourite product recipes so these products will remain exactly the same.
"We will, however, be also adding some new products to his current range and hope to start a range of oven-ready products soon."
Mr Logue, who started JPL Shellfish in 1992, paid tribute to Allan and Betty and their family who ran the business for more than 30 years.
He said: "They have worked extremely hard for over three decades to supply local Caithness beef to local folk and are held in high regard by all. They will be sorely missed from the local business community but they’ve assured me they will pop in for a cuppa and to catch up with all their customers and friends.
"We’ve got a hard act to follow but are committed to try and do all their hard work justice by carrying forward their ethos of selling the best local Caithness beef we can."
JPL Fishmongers and Butchers is the name of the new businesses. JPL Shellfish (Scotland) Ltd deals with the export of live shellfish across the world.
