UK Young Butcher of the Year 2008 won by Alan Elliott of Dalbeattie Fine Foods

Photo Opportunity:  Please contact Alan Elliott at Dalbeattie Fine Foods on 01556 610 349

Alan Elliott owner of Dalbeattie Fine Foods in Dalbeattie, Dumfries and Galloway, was named Young Butcher of the Year at the Butcher’s Shop of the Year 2008 awards, held at a lavish ceremony at London’s Sheraton Park Lane hotel on Tuesday November 18.

Alan started working part time in a butchers shop in Northern Ireland when he was just 14 and such was his prodigious talent and enthusiasm for the trade that on his 19^th birthday he opened his own shop in Dalbeattie in south west Scotland.   Today Alan and his team at Dalbeattie Fine Foods are being hailed as one of the most exciting butchers in the UK, having already collected an unprecedented number of awards for their products, including being Scotland’s reigning Haggis Champion, Black Pudding Champion and Traditional Steak Pie Champion.  

The Butcher’s Shop of the Year Awards are run by Meat Trades Journal. Editor Ed Bedington commented:

“Alan’s sheer energy and ambition dazzled the judges who felt his achievements from such a young age deserved to be recognised.  Alan is a great example for all young people either in the trade or looking to come in. The industry needs more youngsters like Alan to help drive it forward.”

Receiving the award Alan said:

“I am absolutely over the moon.  This is a very prestigious award and it attracts entries from the very best people in the butchery industry across the UK, so I am thrilled to have won the title of Young Butcher of the Year 2008.  The continued support of the people of Dalbeattie has played a big part in the success of Dalbeattie Fine Foods.

“We are looking forward to another exciting year in 2009 including developing our internet sales, building the Dalbeattie Fine Foods brand, opening a new shop and making the most of being Scotland’s Haggis Champion during the 2009 Homecoming celebrations and the 250^th year of Robert Burns’ birth.”

Douglas Scott of the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders, who organises the competition to find Scotland’s Haggis Champion, said:

“I sometimes feel that it would be nice to share the honours around but you just can’t keep down an ambitious young man like Alan.  He just keeps winning and well done to him!

“I hope his success resonates around the industry to demonstrate to the youth of today that there are great opportunities in the meat industry and with a slice of Alan’s kind of enthusiasm there are no boundaries to what can be achieved.”

Quality Meat Scotland Chairman Donald Biggar said:

“What a fantastic achievement by Alan. Not only has he lifted some of the top butcher titles in Scotland, he’s now firmly made his mark on the UK butcher scene.

“We are delighted to work with him as a member of the Scotch Butchers Club. He is an excellent supporter of the Scottish red meat industry, developing the finest quality products from Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specially Selected Pork.”

Other awards at the event included Butcher’s Shop of the Year and Farm Shop of the Year.

Dalbeattie Fine Foods’ range of award winning products can be seen at www.dalbeattiefinefoods.co.uk