Bishops Castle Abattoir reopens

Livestock farmers, butchers and other local meat sector businesses in Shropshire and the Welsh borders have received a welcome boost with the re-opening of the abattoir in Bishops Castle.

New owner Daysdrove Holdings Limited, set up by over 60 local farmers and business people, has successfully refurbished and modernised the three-species facilities following the acquisition in the summer. The company has now gained the necessary approval to begin operations with immediate effect.

According to general manager David Palmer, the primary focus of the business will be the provision of high quality local meat for local people. This, he stresses, will be achieved by working alongside the area’s butchers and farm shops to provide the essential slaughter and butchering services needed to deliver local meat products.

"We are located in the heart of one of the best livestock producing regions in the country and are surrounded by farm shops, butchers, and restaurants striving to meet the demand for local meat," he says. "The missing link is a local abattoir focused on providing services for local businesses, so we intend to fill the gap.

"The success of Daysdrove will be good news for this area as a whole, as we shall be providing an alternative outlet for livestock farmers, a vital service for local food businesses, and consumers will have far more opportunities to buy locally sourced meat.

"In time we hope that the Daysdrove brand will become familiar to everyone, and automatically associated with key criteria such as quality, local procurement, low food miles and high animal welfare standards."

Based in Bishops Castle, just a few miles from the Welsh border, Daysdrove is the only three species abattoir in Shropshire. The company aims to operate on behalf of businesses offering both Shropshire and Welsh food provenance, and is also committed to achieving organic status at the earliest opportunity.

The re-opening of the Bishops Castle abattoir by Daysdrove has already created six full time jobs, with the number of permanent positions expected to increase over the coming months as the business develops. Key positions for the future will include office administration plus additional slaughter and butchery personnel.