Quails, Banbridge – July 2010

In the heart of the town is the very elegant Quails' butchers shop incorporating a 60 seater restaurant. The shop has been a Northern Ireland finalist in Butchers Shop of the Year for the last two years and although pipped for the title on both occasions, Joe Quail views the process of qualifying to attend the prestigious London awards ceremony as a mere bonus.

The discipline of filling in the Meat Trades Journal's entry form every year serves as a vital health check for the County Down business. Joe firmly believes that the self-assessment required to complete the nomination ensures that all aspects of his business are continually under review.

Certainly the shop stands out as a smart, modern, yet traditional butchers shop. The deli counter and shelves of fine foods both refrigerated and at ambient compliment a very fine display of the finest locally sourced fresh meat.

Things have changed somewhat since Joe's great grandfather Matthew Alexander Quail founded the business in 1898. Joe's grandfather also called Joe and father James developed the business with James overseeing the transformation from a classic narrow butchers into a food hall.

In 1990 the shoe shop next door was acquired and knocked into one unit. Six years later the café/restaurant was opened but then on 1st August 1998 when things were beginning to blossom for the business, a car bomb wrecked the street. James was fortunate to survive having only just moved away from the fastly evacuated street but the premises required a complete re-build.

More pictures at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/SFMTA1/QUAILS110610#

Quails managed to open a temporary shop in Banbridge for Christmas that year and they traded from that until May 2000 when they were able to return to their re-designed shop. The upside of all this turmoil was that James and Joe created a shop with character and finesse. A shop where everything had its place and where the correct amount of space was devoted to every element of their retail offering.

In addition to a well stocked fresh meat display, Quails boast a hands-on area for fresh meat and poultry, vegetables and fruit, an impressive deli counter, fresh fish display, pastry cabinet, ready meals wall unit and caf̩ servery. The shop also benefits from access at both front and rear. Everything customers taste in the caf̩ is available in the shop and great importance is made of making everything in house Рthe soup, the bread, the meals Рand there is an ample opportunity for cross selling.
Quails are great exponents of the Limousin breed, the family farm has 100 head of cattle and 30 pedigree cows and although they do not finish the cattle a high proportion of the beef they sell comes from local farmers who do. Joe Quail is pictured here with one of his beef suppliers, farmer Alister Thompson from Dromore. Since 1978 James Quail has made regular trips to France to source the finest breeding stock with his best result being at the 2002 Royal Highland Show where his bull Ludo was the Limousin Male Champion and Supreme Champion with Duc (1985) and Ocean (2002) at the Balmoral Show (NI).

Joe Quail graduated from Reading University with a degree in Food Economics and marketing. He followed that with seven years as Sales Manager at Foyle Meats in Londonderry so when it comes to sourcing he knows the business. Pork and Ham are bought from Fred C Robinson in Ballyclare and from Pinkertons in Armagh. Lamb comes from local suppliers and from Foyle Meats and poultry is sourced from Rockville and Dickies Maine Valley.

A vast majority of Quails customers are local but this awarding winning shop draws discerning buyers but from Hillsborough, Newry and Dundalk.

In 2008 Quails won a Great Taste Award for their own recipe Ham and they have Bridgestone Awards from 2000 to 2010 – Ireland's food Oscars – which have to be well warranted; the ultimate endorsement of good food on the Emerald Isle.

Such awards don't come easy but Joe Quail is confident that the judges recognised the quality and range of locally sourced foods, the own recipe products, the friendly service in a business that is not scared to change with the times. Joe and his father (pictured right) are constantly striving to source better food, to improve their recipes and provide better value.

Quails will be entering Butcher Shop of the Year again in 2010. The business continues to move onwards and upwards and there is no doubt that they will severely challenge the judges again. Frustratingly it is hard to point out just what could be improved upon.