After three decades of working as a butcher in Ellon, Barry Bartlet has decided to branch out on his own.
The 46-year-old welcomed his first customers through the doors of Barry’s Butchery on Monday.
The new shop, which can be found at Neil Ross Square on Bridge Street, was an exciting but nerve-wracking move for the experienced butcher.
“It’s all I’ve done since I left school,” he told The Press and Journal.
“I have thought about branching out by myself for a long time but had just never taken the plunge.
“It was a tough decision – and a scary one as well. I’ve worked at Costcutter and then Greens in the town for 30 years.
“We decided it was finally time to go out on our own and see how it would all go.”
For Barry, the main motivation for starting his own business was his family.
“Barry’s very much a family man,” his wife Marie-Ann, 41, said.
“He wanted to have something for the boys and something which fitted around our family life.
“We thought this was a perfect spot – they’ll all grow up knowing this shop.”
Barry’s Butchery opens in Ellon
The couple first viewed the empty unit on Bridge Street in July last year and have been working hard ever since to turn it into the perfect butcher shop.
They designed the space themselves and with help from friends they gradually saw their vision come to life.
Barry, who lives in Newburgh, said: “We played about with some names at the start but everyone knows my name so Barry’s Butchery made sense.
“Ever since we announced it the response from the public has been unbelievable.”
On Monday, Barry was finally able to open the butchery alongside his team, his son Kai, 18, and the couple’s boys Olly, seven, and Noah, three.
Marie-Ann, who is head chef at the New Inn Hotel in Ellon, will also be sharing her expertise at the new shop.
She said: “We want to be affordable and offer different products for people, as well as being a traditional butchery.
“We also want to get that family feel across and make it comfortable for the customers.
“The butchers can be a daunting place if you don’t know what you’re looking for.”
Barry’s Butchery will be open Monday to Saturday.
Conversation