A NEW butcher is hoping to beef up Hobbs House Butchery after taking over the franchise of the business.

Jon Howell has taken over the shop in Chipping Sodbury High Street, with Fabulous Baker Brother Henry Herbert taking over as retail director of the household name company.

Jon, who has 30 years of experience in the butchery business, comes from Lowden Farm Shop in Melksham, Wiltshire which he ran successfully for three years.

He told the Gazette: “I am really excited to be here, I have had a very warm welcome and although it is going to be hard work, I have lots of plans.

“This is my first business of my own but I am keeping all the original staff. It is a ready made business and of course it comes under the Hobbs brand, I just want to build it up again and regain shoppers’ confidence.”

Jon, from Chippenham, said he had already introduced Scotch eggs with quail eggs to the menu and would be running 10 per cent discount days for pensioners every Tuesday. He is also in talks with a top London restaurant to stock his cuts and has plenty of plans for the Christmas season and beyond.

“We will be putting out tenders for wholesale contracts and will be keeping all our supply local,” he said.

“I firmly believe a good butchers does not have to mean extortionate prices and I would far rather have 10 people come in and pay a reasonable rate than one at an inflated price.”

As well as running the business, Jon said he was looking forward to meeting other shopkeepers and would be offering them 10 per cent off cards.