WATCH: Owner of Portchester Butchers explains what it's like being a butcher

With it being National Butchers Week (March 4 - March 10), we decided to delve into the world of butchery to take a look behind the scenes of a popular business that opened up in Portchester at the beginning of last year.

The butchers is in the heart of the high street and is run by iconic father and son duo, Jacob and David Smith, who both have an extensive knowledge surrounding the trade following decades of experience. David has been a butcher all of his life and has 40 years of experience after he began his journey in the industry as a Saturday boy in the 1970’s, and he has never looked back.

The 62-year-old has got a wealth of knowledge surrounding the industry and he has passed this down to Jacob, who has always had a passion for cooking following a career as a chef.

The butchers prides itself on a glorious window display that showcases the wonders of the trade and some of the pair's most traditional recipes including 'Joyce pork' which is made using a 60-year-old recipe. The business has secured a loyal customer base - but what goes into being a butcher?

David said: "I've been in the trade all my life, left school and became a Saturday boy and that was back in the mid 70s, and I've been in it ever since. I've been around a bit because I had butchers in Arundel and I went to Spain, had butchers in Spain, I came back here and worked for other butchers all over the region and ended up in Portchester, which is where I am now.

"I have had a lot of experience in the trade so I know everything when you think of butchering.

"In Spain, it was wonderfully warm, a lot more of a social life but it doesn't make any wholesale - we did a lot of English bars and cafes, things like that, we also manufactured sausages for supermarkets over there - little English supermarkets and corner shops.

"Eventually, I saw this shop come up and I thought 'brilliant', it had a lot of potential and it has been better than I thought to be truthful."

The business is a family enterprise with David's two sons working in the shop, coming up with new ideas and flavours, and his daughter-in-law is in charge of the marketing and social media.

A popular element of the shop is the ready to cook meals which are thought up by Jacob on a weekly basis to ensure that there are numerous dishes bursting with flavours - and they have been going down a treat. Sausages are also on the list of favourites and the butchers are known for producing mouth wateringly delicious bangers.

There is a lot of work that goes into running the business and the family dedicated hours of their time to keep the meat and recipes flowing.

David added: "Prepare to work 60 hours a week minimum, that's a part time week really, if you're doing less than 60 hours a week you're not working hard enough and basically you have to give your life and soul to it - it is hard, very hard, but it's very rewarding.

"It's a skill that not many have nowadays, we do everything from boning out the beef and so on and so forth. We make the sausages and faggots - we sell loads of faggots, and everything you can think of in between.

"I start about 5:30 in the morning, we get the window displays in order and that's a day start, and it depends on the day - how busy we are, who's coming in. There's boning out meat to be done, there's sausages to be produced and we do a lot of oven ready meals which Jacob does - but we have to be here all day.

"There is always a market there, people come through and so far, there's never been a problem with getting trade.

"The quality and the service - you can never get it in a supermarket. Most of the time, you could go into a supermarket and ask them what meat is what and they wouldn't have a clue."

From stir fry to steak and sticky ribs to succulent chicken dishes and a full range of high quality meats, Portchester Butchers is a favourite with the locals - and it is clear that the hours and hard work is paying off.

For more information about Portchester Butchers, click here.