West End Butchers, Dundee – August 2015

Dundee is famed for the three J's Journalism, Jute and Jam but for this Dundee butcher the most appropriate synonym is Duraglit! There are few butchers' shops that shine the way West End Butchers do.

This is one of the shiniest and slickest butchers' shops that you will find. Enter this shop and you will immediately feel at ease. Outside the city traffic is challenging but cross the door of West End Butchers and you find a different world where nothing is a problem. The displays are clear and clean but so too are the premises and work areas. The welcome from Ian Dunbar and his staff is warm and they are keen to interest you in their meat and meat products.

The dedication to the cause is evident to all but that is how it should be. Ian and his son Lee are very much the front men, there to meet and greet their customers. Ian's wife Elaine and Neil, a good friend of Ian's from school days who have always worked together, are not far from sight churning out the pies and meat products that keep the customers coming back.

The attention to food safety is something that Ian Dunbar has always paid great importance to. He was the one who encouraged his daughter Nicola to take the path that has resulted in her becoming an EHO for Aberdeen City Council. Nicola worked in the shop while at school and studying and still comes back to help out when required, so it is no surprise that this shop is one that sets the pace.

Nothing is even the slightest bit out of place here. Nothing is in any way questionable. Exemplary throughout, the Dundee public can rest assured that at West End Butchers everything is going to be like their DC Thomson character, just dandy.

The Dunbar family has run West End Butchers since 2002. Back then father and son were forced to move shop because of a compulsory purchase order and they took on the shop of John Fitzgerald in Perth Road. Trading as West End Butchers Ian and his dad established a good trade. When his father retired in 2009, Ian's wife Elaine came in to maintain the strong family commitment.

Ian Dunbar's father, also Ian, had worked in several Alex Munros, Carrolls before going to work for George Taylor as the butcher in the VG Store in St Mary's. Ian was message boy for the shop and when he left Rockwell High School at the age of 15 he joined his father who by then had his own butchers shop in the Ardler Centre.

In 2009 the shop next door became available and although there was already complete separation the extra space allowed even better separation with preparation areas for pies and cooked meats, sausage production and cutting. The shop was refurbished by Watco and that included fitting Eurocryor cabinets.

Elaine developed the pastry trade firing off pastries fresh daily using two fan assisted Blue Seal ovens.

Elaine and Lee joined the family business in 2009 from Baldragon High School at the age of 16. Like many Lee had worked in the business while at school and had also managed to have been a ball boy at Tannadice. He has successfully completed a Modern Apprenticeship at both Level 2 and Level 3 in Specialist Meat & Poultry Skills.

The stage is set for a grand show and this West End production doesn't let you down.

Attachments:

• WestEndButchers270715.pdf