Butcher celebrates 50 years at market where he started work at 14
His shop moved from the old market to the new as part of the switchover. Although one of his abiding memories of the former site is the day a remote controlled hospital bed complete with patient rolled into the market."Everyone fell about laughing I still don't know why it was there," he said.Cheshire West and Chester councillor Nathan Pardoe congratulated him on "this incredible milestone" and said the butcher was "a respected member of the market community, cherished by his customers and other traders alike".
His current regular customers include the husband of Chester MP Samantha Dixon."She is a very busy so it makes sense for him to come," he said.Other 'celebrity' customers include former St Helens rugby league player James Roby."We used to have this small lady coming to us very regularly and we found out her husband was James Roby [St Helens hooker] so we must have been doing something right," he said.He said the job has changed since he first learned his craft, adding "it's often the names of the cuts that have changed".
Mr Hughes said: "What we used to call skirt of beef and use for things like pasties - it is now called bavette steak and people fry it."They even cut it in the opposite way we were taught.""I have enjoyed every day as a market trader. It's been an honour to serve generations of families, and I'd like to thank my customers for their loyalty", he said."As the last butcher trading in the city centre I was delighted to be able to make the move to the new market."
His stall is next to the market's two other produce traders, Chester Market Fishmongers and the Sheng Hai Oriental Supermarket.The new market has welcomed more than six million customers in three years and has won multiple awards.
Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC North West on X. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
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