Where else can you pick up butcher meat alongside a Buckfast macaroni pie other than Lurch Monster’s Tilly Butcher in Aberdeen?
Nowhere is the answer.
Run by enigmatic owner Liam Scott, this north-east butchery is one of the most creative in Scotland and is at the heart of the local community in Tillydrone.
From top quality cuts of favourite meats to its Thursday Pie Day – the venue’s weekly event which has gained a huge following over the last few years– all products come brimming with personality here.
This is showcased best on its social media pages where collaborations with local independent businesses and outrageously tasty pie fillings are a sight to behold.
It’s also a big passion project for Liam, who has been driven to make a success of his life after a challenging upbringing and is now relishing the success he has achieved with his business.
We talked to Liam to find out more about Lurch Monster’s Tilly Butcher…
What was it like for you growing up in Aberdeen?
In all fairness, I was from a really poor background growing up in Aberdeen. Burnt fish fingers and chips were a lot of what I grew up on.
But becoming a butcher changed that. Between me and my sister, Rachel, we’re the only two people in our family that have gone out and made something of our lives.
Rachel works part time at the shop keeping on top of the pie demand and she’s studying to be a paramedic. I’m super proud of her. Now, I’ve committed my life to my work, to be honest. It’s unbelievable. Being self-employed isn’t a job – it’s a lifestyle.
How did the opportunity to become a butcher happen for you?
I wanted to be a chef when I was younger. I went to cooking college, but I ended up having problems with my bursary and wasn’t able to afford the bus fares back and forth, so I unfortunately had to leave.
I ended up walking past a butcher’s shop called Laidlaw’s not long after that and saw a sign in the window saying they were looking for an apprentice.
That was 17 years ago, so I’ve been a butcher since I was 15.
I’m stuck now, I can’t get out of it!
Tell us about how you came to open your own business.
I was 22 when I opened the Tilly Butcher 11 years ago and I’ve really just submerged myself into the place. I felt like I had to become self-employed by opening my own shop with the way butchery was changing at the time.
Back then, butchers were more traditional and offered regular things like mince, diced steaks and things like that. It was all the same.
But I could see that there was a new generation of people coming in that were interested in different foods. I had to think about how I could make butchery interesting for people that don’t always have the time to cook anymore.
How have things evolved since?
After five years of being open, I reflected that I’d been open for the wrong reasons – to prove other people wrong.
When I went out on my own to open the butcher in Tilly, I felt a lot of the responses from other butchers were very negative and it put a bit of a chip on my shoulder.
But now, I feel like I’m more of a fixture in Tillydrone, as well as people’s lives.
Sometimes, I might be the only person a customer might speak to that day. Overall, it’s never been easy, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. It’s my life.
How surprised have you been with the scale of success of Pie Day?
Aw god, I’m sick of all the pies! I started them around six months before the start of lockdown and everything just went mental.
Standard pies are usually things like steak, mince and macaroni – but there’s so many things you can do.
You can pigeon-hole yourself like everyone else, or you can break the mould. I’ve always tried to innovate instead of copy.
Is it this innovation that makes Lurch Monster’s Tilly Butcher pies so special?
To be fair, there’s been a fair couple of stinkers of pies that we’ve made! But for the most part, they’ve always been well received.
The inspiration for different fillings just comes from being inside this place all the time – I can go stir crazy! We’ve made so many, it’s difficult to narrow it down to a favourite.
But the Buckfast BBQ pie was really popular – as well as the chicken pakora pie which went viral last year.
At its peak, we were shifting 2,500 pies in a day. But again, it’s just about being off the ball and a little crazy with the pies that makes them a bit different.
Do you source your meats from local farms?
Lately, in the last five or six years, I’ve gotten more into the market of buying our own cattle. I could tell you how many steaks I could get off a cow by looking at it.
I think this is one of the dying elements of butchery; people want to be able to go and look at a cow with its jacket on and differentiate what you can get.
But if you buy your own stuff, it’s a bit more expensive – although you’re giving your customer a prime product.
How important is it for you to collaborate with other independent businesses around Aberdeen?
It’s important to me personally as I had no support when I first started. After 10 years of being in business, I wanted to give back in some way and encourage younger people to start their own businesses. If anything, I’ve made so many mistakes that I can also help and advise as well. It’s nice to see young businesses flourish and grow.
We’ve heard rumours that there’s a new summer burger bar in the works. Is this true?
Yes, it’s meant to have been happening for the last few years, but life just keeps getting in the way.
I want to try this out because I’d say there’s elements of butchery that I’ve lost my passion for. Reaching a certain level, there’s not much else you can aim for going forward in terms of achievements or accolades to go above.
So, this was why I wanted to come up with something else to try and rekindle that passion. It’s still on the backburner, but it is coming at some point.
Any other plans?
I would love a holiday or even a few days off! Really, we’re just focussing on maintaining, improving and keeping things affordable for our customers.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
The interaction with customers. Asking somebody how they are, it’s amazing how much of a difference that can make.
We’re able to talk to people, show them the meat we have, advise them on how to cook it, turn them on to new cuts of meat to try.
I’m eternally grateful for customers choosing to come here.
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