PAUL TURNER OWNER OF TRADITIONAL FAMILY BUTCHERS ALF TURNER, AND MEAT SUPPLIER TO AVIATOR, SHARES WITH US THE LONG HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS AND HOW THEY ARE CONTINUING TO OFFER A FIRST CLASS SERVICE.

The business was established in 1956 when my Grandfather, Alf Turner, opened his shop at 205 North Lane, Aldershot, knocking out the front window of his home and opening a Butchers shop from his front room! The business still operates from these premises more than 50 years later. Alf served in the Royal Army Service Corp for nearly 20 years working as the Chief Butcher Instructor teaching butchery skills to all the squaddies, and in 1947 Alf was awarded the British Empire Medal for his services to the meat industry.

Recipes have been passed down through the years and whilst we stay true to our heritage using ingredients that would have been around 20-30 years ago, we like to add our own modern twist. This is usually with the names of the meat produce rather than the ingredients themselves. I will leave the chilli and chocolate combinations to the confectioners! We did however recently introduce the Dragon?s fury sausage which lists Dragon?s Blood superhot chillies as one of its ingredients, one I?m not sure my Grandfather would be up for trying! Our customers are the best critics and we always try new sausage combinations out on them as we know they will give us an honest opinion. We have families that have been loyal customers for generations. I think that is the key to our success: building long lasting relationships, built on trust.

We established a relationship with Aviator three years ago, a relationship that has strengthened and developed during that time. We now work with Head Chef Adam Fargin, discussing new menus and selecting meats and suggesting seasonal produce that will inspire his dishes. It?s always interesting for us to see how a Chef can develop a dish using the best quality ingredients and enhance the flavour of the meat.