Longfields, we’re more than just an insurance brokerage. We firmly believe in networking and assisting our customers and local businesses wherever possible.
Our Managing Director, Luke, is a loyal customer of Fodder, a local Butcher Shop and Deli, based in Melton, Woodbridge. With Christmas only a few weeks away, we called in to see one of the owners, Harry, to learn more about them and why local support is vital to their businesses.
When was your business established in our local community, and by whom?
We took over a long-established local business in May 2022. Our background in food was based in producing scotch eggs for the likes of Harrods, Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason. We decided to take on a retail outlet and have our own customer-facing place to showcase our food creations.
Are you a family-run business?
I run the shop with my brother, Jack. He is more hands-on in the day-to-day running of the shop and is responsible for bringing in all the wonderful deli products you see in there. My role is more focused on the creative side and the painful admin!
How were you affected by the pandemic closures?
Our takeover was post covid restrictions, so luckily, we missed that, but the previous owners did incredibly well over those years as the local communities around the country dug deep to support local, which is just brilliant.
What does your business mean to you personally?
My business is my everything. It gives me the chance to provide people with the food that I truly believe in. A chance to educate people on more sustainable ways of eating meat and working with small producers to showcase their amazing products. It’s fraught with highs and lows and is so personal as we put every waking hour into being the best we can be, but the highs far outweigh the lows for sure.
Where do you see the future for local butchers, and why?
I think butchers have a tricky future, but if done right and focused on important subjects like sustainability, I think they can do really well. I’ve always been an advocate for eating less meat but eating good meat. So not eating meat twice a day from a supermarket but eating local, regeneratively farmed meat a few times a week instead.
Why is local support so important to your business?
It’s vital for us to gain support from the locals. We’re up against the supermarkets, which from a pricing point of view, we just can’t compete. We do, however, beat them on quality by a mile. We work tirelessly with other small businesses like ours who are championing more sustainable and regenerative farming methods and producing high-quality products from which we curate a perfect selection for our loyal customers. It’s a David vs Goliath battle that we believe we can win because we have a b etter offering that serves the public with a more conscious choice.
A big thank you to Harry at Fodder’s for taking the time to speak with us, especially during the busy festive season. To learn more about Fodder’s, head to their website and visit their social media channels.
