Brendan left school at 15 to become an apprentice butcher at Westwells Butchers Shop Ewood, Blackburn.
He started night school and gained a Meat Traders A-Level in 1965 through the Institute of Meat studying Meat Commodity.
He continued his studies and in 1969 gained the Institute of Meat, Meat Traders Final Certificate – this was a rigorous course covering Meat Commodity, Meat Hygiene and Inspection, Accounts and Business Organisation.
Brendan moved on to work for the Co-Op butchers in Longridge before starting up in business during the deep freeze boom of the late 60’s early 70’s.
Brendan worked from home – Stydd Lee Farm House, Ribchester – cutting and packing weekly ‘deep freeze’ meat orders. Brendan and Petrina delivered the orders in matching blue mini vans to customers in localvillages during the evenings and weekends.
Newly married
, Brendan and Petrina’s drive led them to buy the butchers shop 19 Derby Road Longridge. Brendan and Petrina built the business on traditional butchery skills, quality local produce and first class service:
Moving forwardDuring the 80’s the retail and catering business steadily grew. Brendan gained a name for quality meat and a reputation for ‘going the extra mile’ and many Ribble Valley businesses, schools and restaurants came to view Brendan Anderton Butchers as their meat supplier.
Award winning qualityHaving been a butcher since he was 15, Brendan has a lifetime’s worth of knowledge and it was natural for him pass down expertise to his two sons. Austin and Roger truly are born and bred meat men and Brendan has taught them all he knows.
During the 90’s Austin and Roger enrolled onto Further and Higher Education courses learning about Food Safety, HACCP, legal compliance and manufacturing, practice.
Their education in conjunction with work experience in large food manufacturers has been imperative to the continued growth and development of the business
Ready for growthIn autumn 2007 the catering side of the business moved to a purpose built Licensed Cutting Premises (UK 4834) where the distribution capabilities and scope of the business has expanded.
Austin and Roger continue to develop the business and Anderton’s Ribble Valley Butchers (ARVB) supply:
The ARVB catering business operates 20 hours a day, 6 days a week. The ARVB Team and refrigerated driving fleet of vans facilitate delivery throughout the North of England.
Roger Anderton is currently the 17th and youngest Institute of Meat Master Butcher.
Roger Anderton is a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Butchers and a sworn citizen of London. He became the youngest ever Freeman of the City of London in November 2018 – for his services to butchery.
Being a freeman, comes with its privileges also; “There are a number of rights traditionally but apocryphally associated with freemen – the right to drive sheep and cattle over London Bridge; to a silken rope, if hanged; to carry a naked sword in public; or that if the City of London Police finds a freeman drunk and incapable, they will bundle him or her into a taxi and send them home rather than throw them into a cell!”
The addition of cooking facilities at our Longridge Butchers shop (Autumn 2018) will allow ARVB to supply an even greater range of products: home cooked meat and pies, the options are many…
2020 & The Future: The business is very much family affair and the rest of the Anderton journey will be very much seen out as a family.
