Southsea butcher Buckwells urges people to put in their turkey orders for their Christmas dinner

John Buckwell, who has run Buckwells of Southsea with his wife Helen for 33 years, said they were braced for an unusual festive season.

With uncertainty surrounding lockdown rules in December, John said it was making it hard for shops like his and his suppliers to prepare.

He warned that customers could face disappointment unless they got their orders in soon.

John, 74, said: ‘I think we will be busy this Christmas. People won’t be able to – or won’t want to – go out. They can’t go to hotels or on holiday like they would normally so it is going to be a very different Christmas. People will be having Christmas at home and that means turkey.

‘It is going to be a very strange Christmas but people need to start thinking about it now. If they put an order in they can change it up until December 15, the main thing is that they have an order in so it gives us an idea.

‘Nobody knows what this year will bring.’

Buckwells employs five full-time staff and John said they have worked hard to keep up with increased demand since the start of the pandemic.

He said he was grateful that customers had seen the value of his Osborne Road shop, and turned to him for quality produce, rather than the supermarkets.

‘We have been very busy since March for lots of reasons,’ he said

‘Restaurants are closed, people are eating more at home, and people are staying away from the supermarkets in support of independents.

‘We have survived through all sorts of different crisis as people trust us. We are very grateful.’

John also urged people to continue to shop locally, as a way of boosting the local economy.

John lives in Southsea with Helen and they have two daughters and four granddaughters.

‘We support all the local bars in Southsea,’ he joked.

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‘Spending money with us means it stays in the local economy.’

As well as turkey, John hopes to promote the quality of his beef, lamb and pork, which he buys from Inverurie.

He spoke to The News, on the back of his shop supporting a relaunch of the Scotch Butchers Club.

The club, which promotes the welfare and environmental credentials of Scotch lamb, Scotch beef and specially selected pork, has more than 250 members across the UK and is run by Quality Meat Scotland.

Its members display the Scotch Butchers Club logo to let customers know they can buy with confidence as the meat is sourced from selected quality assured, high welfare farms.

John added: ‘My first experience with Scottish beef was when I was working in London in the 70s in a high-class butcher which sold Buchan beef.

‘When I opened my own store I wanted to replicate the quality that the high-end butchers in London had by selling grassfed Scotch beef alongside lamb and pork.

‘Its consistent quality and provenance being an important selling point; anything that makes people aware that they are buying into a premium product is important and the club’s new branding will help sell that story.

‘Although based south of the border, we’re proud members of the Scotch Butchers Club and source our product from Scot Beef, Inverurie.’

The News has launched its #supportlocal campaign to promote the many good reasons to shop locally this year.

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