Christie Meats – December 2008

Stuart Christie has run Christie Meats for the last forty years but has been involved with livestock production since he was a child. His father Alexander worked his way up from slaughterman to be manager of McEwan Brothers in the old Glasgow Meat Market. After the Second War War his father had successfully secured a small holding at Hardgate just outside Clydebank and it was there that Stuart learned about keeping pigs and poultry.

Unfortunately Stuart's father died in 1960 leaving the 16 year son and his mother to run the business. Pork production grew and the small holding was soon supplying six stances on the Glasgow Meat Market.

Trade was not all one way because the enterprise in Stuart saw the potential to pick up beef on the Glasgow Meat Market that he could cut up for himself and local farmers.
This instigated an on farm factory and because he had a cattle float, Stuart also branched out into haulage. This mushroomed to a fleet of 15 articulated lorries and loads included timber, steel, whisky and hides with destinations all over the UK. A major contract was with Langs Tannery in Liverpool.

This was all getting too big and in 1984 at the age of 40, Stuart began to fear for his life expectancy so he sold the haulage business and opened a butcher's shop in Dalmuir
or the verge of Clydebank. That went well until after ten years the landlord tried to hike up the rent, so he gave up the shop and took over a stance at the Glasgow Meat Market.

Stuart left retailing behind at this time to concentrate on the catering market and wholesaling to butchers.

Although the catering side had always played a large part in his butcher's business, he claims it just happened from friends and through contacts.

In 1998 he moved out of Glasgow to take on the Hardgate butcher's shop then run by Sammy Docherty. The big back shop was ideal to continue his catering trade and Stuart was once again serving the public.

Attachments:

• CHRISTIE MEATS DEC 08.pdf