Chapter Twenty.
The Irish Boys.
Prior to 1954 most of the Irish Cattle went live to England, to be killed in English Abattoirs.
The two main reasons, bad refrigeration and being killed in England could be sold as English Beef at premium prices.
The main shippers were the Goodman Family, the Horgan Family, the Purcell Family and the Faheys and The Mollihan Brothers.
The English Boys would come to Dublin Saleyards, each Monday and buy cattle. 
Tom Swires of Leeds, Willy Parker Leicester, Weston Brothers, City Meats, Monks of Birmingham, to name but a few.
This was a man called Seamus Coonahan who was a character and a half.
Seamus was a good Dealer and good Operator.
He decided to build a State of the Art Beef Plant in Grand Canal Street Dublin.
Seamus had plans drawn, modeled on the Argentinean plant at Yaguanne in Buenos Aires.
The plant was vertical dressing, German Engineering and 20 years before its time, added to this, it was going to cost a cool million pounds. 50 million of todays money.
Seamus had the right idea, he would kill 2000 Cattle a week, send to England in Carcase form.
He would have the market to himself. He borrowed the money from Eagle Star Insurance,
They backed the Man and the idea, when the Plant was built in 1956 it had gone well over budget.
Seamus had no money to buy cattle, Eagle Star put Receivers into Grand Canal, “The White Elephant of Dublin” Crowleys at Roscasa, previously mentioned, had been the Kings of the Meat Trade prior to this.
Frank Quinn was killing a few cattle, in the Old Dublin Abattoir and in 1957 could sense things were changing, health controls becoming more strict, lucrative quotas to the USA for Cow Beef were on offer.
Frank rented Grand Canal for 100 pounds a week, Eagle Star were happy to take his money.
Terry Kennedy was Company Accountant and General Manager, that was the birth of Irish Meat Packers.
Frank was a drinking chronic alcoholic and what a character, yet clever shrewd and a good Meat Man.
They made millions for the next five years and built a new state of the art plant a Leixlip and a second one at Middleton in County Cork.
In 1968 Cork Marts wanted to buy into the Meat Trade.
Frank sold IMP for 3 ¼ Million pounds. The Deal was 1 ¼ million Cash, one million after first year, if they made money, balance in the second year if they made money. Terry Kennedy stayed on as Company Secretary, Frank retired.
Year One they made 14,000, so paid Frank his million.
Year two they lost 300,000, however Terry Kennedy took the Auditors around the Cold Stores three times, placing Stocks at a value of 500,000.Therefore in profit.
Terry paid Frank his second million, resigned before the shit hit the Fan.
Cork Marts blustered on for ten years and never made a profit. The other big players were Clover Meats who combined Bacon with the Beef at Waterford, Clonmel, Limmerick and Cork.
They were big players, the bacon subsidized the beef for years, they also had a good Domestic Market for canned goods and sausage.
The rest of the Irish Meat Industry was FMC at Sallins and Newry FMC bought Newry from Dalgety in 1970.
Alf Meade had Bagnastown and Omagh, the Meade Lonsdale group mentioned Earlier.
Jack Clarfelt had Castlebar and Monaghan bacon and beef.
Then there was Lyons at Longford, Hanlys at Roosky all small players.
The Irish were twenty years ahead of the English in Big Plants, Beef plants, especially.
Within fifteen years Larry Goodman had opened Dundalk, Hugh Tunney had opened Clones.
The lambs in Ireland were controlled by Paddy Lynch at Ballinsaloe, Paddy Nolan at Ballymon and later Paddy Lynch at Ballyjamesduff, Lyons at Longford and Bert Allen at Slayncy Meats.
When Intervetion came in 1974 all the lamb plants turned to beef, building the famous Beef Mountain, profits were 100 pounds an animal and more, no plants had facilities to Freeze their full production, beef was frozen in containers, on pallets in Public Cold Stores.
The plants just kept killing, the Government just kept paying.
This left all the lambs in Ireland to Halal meats in Ballyhaunis, who had purchased a little lamb plant for 44,000 pounds.
I sold the first lambs for Ballyhaunis in 1974 to Socieviandes in Paris.
By 1976 they were killing 10,000 lambs weekly, by 1981 had 5 plants in Ireland, one I Wales, one in Scotland doing 40,000 lambs weekly.
The Rolls Royce Bicycle Syndrome, hit Sher Rafique, he walked away with nothing.
Goodman went from strenth to strenth controlling seven plants in Ireland 40% of the kill.
Noel Keating was a lovely man, he had a Wholesale Business in Ossery Road on the North Wall in Dublin, he also had a good Retail Shop in Thomas Street.
He built a state of the art plant at North Dublin Geared for 2000 cattle per week.
He then took over the IMP Lamb Plant at Athelegue in Rosscommon, Keypack, are second only to Goodman today, in England and Ireland.
Sadly Noel had a Brain Hemmerage and died, thankfully his Family run the business today.
The Coops came and went yet still involved in the Bacon Business.
Dawn Meats are big players today in England and Ireland.
So Ireland really is down to the Big Three companies.
There are still successful Private Big Plants Frank Mallons Liffy Meats and Bert Allens Slayney Meats.
There used to be only six export plants in the North of Ireland now there are a few more, also with Plants in the UK, Dungannon Meats, Colraine Meats.
Having said this Larry Goodman Lords over the whole of Ireland, the whole of England.
King Larry is the Biggest Meat Man in Europe Today.
In 2004 Goodman made his Companies Unlimited, that is a man with the Courage of his Convictions in 1991 Larry lost 161 million pounds in Iraq.
Any Lesser man would have laid down and cried or even died. Not Larry Goodman he stayed in the game. When the going gets Tough, the Tough get going.
Larry Goodman is one man that would have had no qualms about George Bush Invading Iraq.
To Wake up one morning knowing you have lost 161 million, through no fault of your own, quite a thought.
The Goodman Group are big in Burgers, Portion Control, as well as International Trading on a Global basis.
So like England, Ireland, has seen some great changes in the last fifty years.
From Live Cattle walking on the Boat, to Supermarket Trays leaving the Meat Plants.
The men of Vision like Larry Goodman saw the need to go from Live Cattle to Meat Plant.
These men of Great Vision are still as interesting today, as they were 50 years ago.
One can not talk of the Irish Meat Trade without mentioning Hugh Tunney.
Hugh Tunney was born in 1928 in the small farming village of Trilick in County Tyrone, Mid Ulster. He was the eldest of five sons and four daughters, born to an Alcoholic Catholic Cattle Dealer and his wife. For any Catholic Family in recently annexed Ulster as part of the British Empire, after the Irish War of Independence followed by the Civil War, these were very tough days Hugh’s father was a very clever man and an excellent judge of cattle with is sharp wit, and a Good Eye, had no problem making a comfortable living as a dealer.
However, alcohol was his Achilles Heel making any success short lived and the children grew up with a constant fear of insecurity. Making matters worse, he was a very violent drunk which made the boys all turn away from their father and towards their mother.
It was agreed that at the age of fourteen Hugh would leave school and be apprenticed to the local butcher in the next village of Irvingstown. This was normal for the war years of 1942. Hugh had no fear of hard work and took to the job as a duck to water, learning how to buy the live animals, slaughter them and then cut them up in the butchers shop. His sharp brain and natural easy going way made him very popular with the town housewives doing their weekly shopping in the butchers shop.
The Butcher McGirr had a son of the same age as Hugh but it was settled that Gerry, the son, would stay at school and become a professional person when he left. With his apprenticeship completed Hugh was running the whole business at a very low wage. However, it was understood upon the retirement of McGirr, that Hugh would takeover the business and become the natural Heir Apparent for a nominal price. With this goal in mind Hugh worked night and day building ad expanding the business until 1954 when he was twenty six years of age.
McGirr the butcher eventually died, as to Hugh having the business nothing was ever put in writing.
Gerry was the apple of the widow McGirr’s eye and he had failed miserably in any attemps at academic and professional career. Despite being a very bright young man he had a taste for the high life and was partial to heavy bouts of drinking, getting trouble and going nowhere. The widow decided it was only fit and proper that her Gerry take over the business and with this in mind gave Hugh notice, one Saturday in 1954 with no severance pay, no week’s wages, just finished him.
So after twelve years of building up the business Hugh was left high and dry and there was
no chance of employment in the local area as a qualified butcher. This bitter lesson in life
was to haunt Hugh for many years to come. In The following week, like so many young Irish men in those days, he took the ferry to England to try his hand in London.
London in 1954 was just being re-built after the war and meat had come off rationing. So the Meat Industry was booming. Hugh had no problem getting employment in various butcher shops, each move of job slightly bettering his pay and prospects but he was always known as Paddy, Paddy had to do all the lifting of the heavy meat, equally, all the cleaning of the shop at cease of business. This only made him more determined to succeed and fuelled his already very anti English feelings, that had begun in his home village a minority Catholic in what was considered occupied Ireland. Hugh eventually ended up working for Lyons Findus in a factory in London, EC1, boning beef on piecework. The money was good, he was paid for what he produced.
Socially he loved to go dancing yet never took to drinking with so many bitter memories of his father. The times he did drink he found he could very easily lose control of himself and was then haunted by the memories of his father.
One Saturday whilst living in Camden Town, he met a Belfast Girl at a dance in Wembley and after a brief courtship they were married. Irene was a nurse in London and a very beautiful graceful girl. They set up home in a basement flat between Camden Town and Kilburn. They only problem with the flat was everyone who walked past in the street could look into the living room. The best day of their lives was when he had enough money for Irene to put up some new curtains leaving their lives private from the eyes of passers by. They were goods days and happy days. The work was hard but the ambition was strong. Hugh always bought the Meat Trades journal and the Farmer & Stockbreeder this was to change Hugh’s life forever.
George Lonsdale’s offices were in Smithfield, London ECI where he ran a large wholesaling business, had stalls on the Smithfield market and was involved in all aspects of the meat industry. Hugh made a telephone call to go and see Lonsdale one Wednesday this was his half day. Washing, shaving, putting on his only suit, Hugh went to see George Lonsdale at Lonsdale House, London, ECI. Hugh purported to have made the journey direct from Ireland and not around the corner from his Basement Flat. Explaining to Lonsdale the availability of cattle, far cheaper cattle from Ireland than England to be shipped to France. Lonsdale was impressed with the young man and Hugh left his office like a dog with two tails.
When he got back to his flat it was time to share the story with Irene who was pregnant with their first child and work out how he could put together six hundred Cattle with no money.
The first choice was his father but the old man could never bankroll an operation of this size. The Mollaghan Brothers of Longford in the Midlands of Ireland were the biggest dealers in Ireland in those days, so the following Saturday after work Hugh set out for Ireland again on the ferry, this time to Dublin and went to see the Mollaghans.
The two brothers were greatly interested in this new contract for France as prior to this time all Irish cattle were sold to England. The prices were acceptable but even the Mollaghans were not prepared to bankroll six hundred Cattle at One Hundred Pounds per head or Sixty Thousand Pounds. They could not do an order of this size, especially to a complete stranger from the North of Ireland. Hugh, being modest and naïve agreed to work for One pound per head in Commission, so Mollaghans were getting all of the profit. Despite this they declined.
The following Wednesday back in London, he was too embarrassed and ashamed to go back to George Lonsdale and tell him that he could not deliver the cattle but after a long talk with Irene decided it was the decent thing to do. He was warmly received at Lonsdale House. The young man from Northern Ireland told George the problems over finance. Lonsdale said “ How much do you need?” and Hugh said “Sixty Thousand Pounds”. George Lonsdale called his secretary and asked her to bring his cheque book then asked Hugh who to make the cheque out to. Hugh answered “The Mollaghan Brothers” and Lonsdale gave him sixty thousand pounds on the spot. Hugh went back to the flat and told Irene, gave up his job and flew to Dublin with the cheque for sixty Thousand Pounds for the first six hundred Cattle. His commission was six Hundred Pounds or six months wages as a Butcher in London. Hugh somewhat in “awe” of the Mollaghans and their reputation duly gave them the cheque for sixty thousand pounds and he was in business. The first load of six hundred Cattle took ten days to put together and it was arranged for the French buyer to fly in to inspect the cattle. The six hundred cattle all in Mollaghans yard outside Longford were beautiful Hereford Cattle and perfect for the English Market. However, they were too fat the Continental Trade and the buyer didn’t want them. As the buyer could not speak English, young John Lyons was sent for, the son of the owner of the local meat factory, as John could speak French. The result was the buyer didn’t want the cattle, only leaner plainer cattle suitable for the French market. As no one had previously shipped cattle to France this was a new exercise for all parties. The Frenchman left in disgust, John Mollaghan went to bed and sulked for twenty four hours. Hugh was devastated. It was agreed that Hugh would sell the six hundred purchased cattle to England and the Mollaghans would buy six hundred Leaner Cattle. This accident was very fortuitous as Hugh contacted numerous abattoirs in England and sold the cattle by weight. It equally showed Mollaghans a good profit. So he was in business at One Pound per head selling six Hundred Cattle per week to England. Life had never looked better and Hugh purchased a house in London and based himself there selling cattle on behalf of Mollaghans.
After a couple of successful years as the agent for Mollaghans, Hugh got to know all the other livestock buyers who were shipping cattle to the UK and came into contact with Crawford Scott who used to purchase cattle for Mollaghans in Northern Ireland. Crawford was legend in his own lifetime having been bankrupt on several occasions and was the Al Capone of the cattle business. Crawford who couldn’t read or write had a photographic memory and could recall the cost of an individual animal many months after purchase despite handling thousands of cattle per week. It was agreed that Crawford and Hugh would go into business together and base their operation in Belfast rather than London. Hugh purchased a house in the Antrim Road, Belfast and they formed UK Meat and Livestock.
Crawford was doing all of the livestock buying. He was second to none. Hugh was selling the cattle to the English abattoirs on a deadweight basis when they met Gregory Shapiro.
Gregory was the original citygent with connections in the South of France as well as Paris for the sale of live cattle. His main clients being the company Muerel of Nice. Gregory went to meet all the auctioneers in Ulster with Crawford and it was agreed that Shapiro would buy the cattle in his own name and Crawford was appointed the agent. It took one year for Gregoty to catch the Ulster auctioneers for over 1 million pounds despite keeping up his first class lifestyle in Victoria, London, complete with original paintings, houseboy and maid.Gregory had lost a lot of money on the gambling tables of Monte Carlo and London
Casino’s which caused his bankruptcy. It was agreed that Gregory now bankrupt would act
as an agent with all his connections in France, Gregory had taken Crawford and Hugh for sixty thousands Pounds.
Hugh heard that Gregory was in Dublin staying at the Gresham Hotel so he got Crawford into the car and said “Let’s go to Dublin, I’m going to throw Shapiro out of the hotel window” to which Crawford replied “Hugh, let’s please get the Sixty thousand Pounds first and then throw him out of the window!.” Gregory eventually paid in dribs and drabs over the next ten years and the writer actually collected the last payment in 1974 and acted as the peacemaker between Gregory and Hugh. Gregory once more became the agent of Hugh for a couple of years in the 1970’s after this peace making mission.
Gregory, without doubt, had the connections. He could and would have been a great Meat Baron in his own right but for his weakness. Compulsive gambling. When the writer brought Gregory back to the Irish meat trade in 1973, it was the talk of the country, however, he was a wise old man in his mid seventies and only wanted a chance t prove he could still perform, and perform he did with excellence.
When UK Meats had cash flow problems in the early 1960’s, Hugh had to go to the Banks alone, as Crawford by his very name was a sure way of being refused by the Banks.
Despite the fact Crawford was over his most recent Bankruptey and travelling very well financially, business just went on improving until 1968 when Wilson Coulter came on the scene and wanted live cattle to go to Libya. This was just prior to the Gadaffi Coup. Today the Libyan Market is recognized as one of the best in the World. Despite all the political sanctions of the last twenty five years, Libya takes ten thousand Live Cattle every week from Ireland and now Australia. During the fuel crisis of 1974 Libya kept Ireland supplied with Oil in exchange for Cattle..
Coulter was one of those men with the most amazing connections but never had the ability to trade himself. When the Libyans were due to arrive in Belfast he said to Crawford “Be very careful what you say. I told these men you are the Biggest cattle man in Ireland”, to which Crawford replied, “You told the Arabs right, I AM the Biggest Fucking Cattleman in Ireland!”
Crawford went on to ask Coulter how he was getting to the airport to meet the delegation and Coulter informed him he was going on the bus one of the biggest, he was setting up one of the biggest cattle deals to ever come to Ireland and he couldn’t affords a car.
Crawford and Hugh took over the negotiations and the deal was set up and Coulter paid his commission. They heard no more from Coulter until one day he made contact wanting to supply Pots and Pans to Abu Dhabi. Crawford and Hugh had no interest but no doubt there was a second fortune to be made, one only has to look at Mohammad Al Fayed to realize the monies involved and profits to be made brokering for the Arabs.
Coulter eventually fronted for a Merchant Bank and purchased Moy Meats, one of the largest plants in Ulster and was kept on the Board as Managing Director. He retired a very wealthy man which goes to show “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. Although late in life, Coulter made it in the end.
The cattle were going every week to Libya. One Sunday morning Hugh was relaxing at home in Belfast when he heard on the radio there was a military coup in Libya. He nearly died as there was one boat in Tripoli Unloading, One on the way and one due to leave Greenoar. The next day, this loss would have broken Hugh and Crawford.
Crawford was dispatched to Tripoli taking Homer, his eldest son, when Hugh finally got
hold of him on the Sunday evening. He asked Crawford “How are things out there Crawford” and which Crawford replied “ There’s an awful lot of sand out here, Hugh”. Hugh, totally at his wit’s end was overhead to say “Fuck the sand, Crawford, what about the money?”. Crawford quietly said in his broad Belfast accent, “the Wee Man is Alright, we will get paid”, and get paid they did via Russia. All Letters of Credit were honoured, which goes to show first hand who was behind the Coup and placed Gadaffi where he is today. This also accounts for the political resentment the USA have held against Libya for the last twenty five years. Despite all his failures, Gadaffi was a good man for his people. Unlike other African States, you don’t see Beggars, Homeless or Poor People in Libya. There is no Starvation. Needless to say Hugh and Crawford ceased dealing with Libya- To much aggravation!.
Hugh and Crawford had buyers in all parts of Ireland, North and South but the live cattle trade was coming to an end.
Owen Mc Williams was the buyer in Co. Derry and he was the uncle of Charles Haughey, the junior Minister of Finance in the Jack Lynch’s government in Dublin. Haughey had a farm at Ashbourne, Country Meath. And Owen put the store cattle in and Hugh used to sell the finished animals.
There was an abattoir in Clones, Co. Monaghan with a very chequered history once owned by Archie Watson of Moy Meats, then owned by Ian Magahy of Lagan Meats.. Hugh and Crawford, along with Tom Hennigan and Gerry Tierney floated a company and purchased the plant. They only put in five Thousand Pounds, each for the plant. In 1969, so they could now slaughter their cattle in Ireland.. Hugh could sell the carcases to the UK and Europe as opposed to live cattle.
They had inherited a Plant Manager from Archie Watson, a man who had worked his way up from loading lorries at Newry, called Eamon Mackle. Hugh realized the potential in the Plant immediately and with his contacts now in Dublin, could get IDA grants to expand the plant at no cost to himself all to the Government. First of all he had to get rid of the partners.
This Prize was too big to share. With that knowledge and connivance of Mackle, they ran the plant at Huge losses for several months, with Crawford and Hennigan taking their money and moving on. Crawford became the buyer of Irish Meat Packers in Dublin and Export Controller for Frans Buitilaar of Boston and went onto better things. Hennigan never forgave Hugh and also went onto Irish Meats Packers as a Buyer.
However, his son, Mossy, became the biggest meat wholesaler in Dublin. Gerry Tierney was to Join the Northern Bank Finance and left with enough profit to make the parting very sweet.By 1970 Hugh had one sterling pound Meat Plant but at the cost of the government and the contract for all the TB and Bruecelois Reactor cows in the twenty six Counties of Ireland.His cup was overflowing when Charles Haughey was taken to court for smuggling arms and Hug into Ireland for the I.R.A however the Finance Office of the Government continued to support Hugh. Charles, of course, made a come back as Primer Minister of Ireland.Hugh most definitely did not fit in with the established Irish meat trade and no matter what he did, the Department of Agriculture would not give him a licence to export to the USA.Eventually the Department had to concede as Clones was a show piece of an abattoir. When granted the licence, Hugh did not have the capital to fill the stores with meat for the USA market. There were no containers in those days, all the meat went by frozen hold in
lots of two hundred to three hundred tonnes.
Hugh told his tale of woe Monty Guerenz, the Managing Director of Illinois Beef Company. Monty, like George Lonsdale fourteen years earlier, said “How Much d you want, Hugh?” and true to his word, Guerenz bankrolled the first shipment of beef to the States and paid for the storage and shipping. Hugh could always get good men to run with him.
Thomas Borthwick was one of the largest meat wholesalers in England Roy Thompson who later became Chief Executive, was a Northern Ireland boy. He arranged for a “small price” to pay Hugh for his beef on a telexed copy of invoice before the meat left the plant. So every Monday, Borthwick would T.T funds into the Clones account to 95% of full value, the balance was settled at the end of the week, Hugh had also learned in the early Seventies the French were so desperate for cheap Irish beef they would pay F.O.B by irrevocable Letter of Credit. So again, the cash was rolling in. in 1972 my name came to the attention of Hugh and a marketing team second to none was born.
Hugh had purchased a magnificent granite built manor house in Clones for Three Thousand Five Hundred Pounds. Clones was a ghost town prior to the evolution of the meat works, situated on the border at the beginning of the troubles in 1969. no one in their right mind wanted to be there. Using his natural flair and what he had picked up in hotels throughout the world, Hugh built stables for his horses and even had the Drive illuminated with all the old Belfast Gas Lights that were replaced in Belfast with electricity. The house, if in Dublin today, would make 3 sterling million.
As well as increasing the business, my influence on Hugh caused him to lift his own personal image and exposure in the trade. I introduced Hugh to Swifts and had him made an honorary member of he Institute of Meat. I decided with Hugh we should bring Irene into the business coming into the Office once a day. We then liveried the trucks is Hugh’s colours. When I was in Portugal, Hugh rang him one night at midnight and said “Bill, I am tired of everyone saying my plant is Charles Haughley’s, equally tired Of everyone thinking Mackle is the Boss. I am going to change the name to Tunney Meat Packers. What do you think?” I was all for the idea so all the livery on the trucks was changed again to Tunney Meat Packers. Any contractor who wished to pull meat from the Clones plant was made to paint his trucks in Tunney’s lively. This is quite common today with Coca Cola, Schweppes, etc. but unheard of in 1973 when I made the rule. Times were good and better to come with the EEC beef mountain and intervention.
In 1974 with the government buying the beef the profit was One Hundred Pounds per head and Clones was killing three thousand Cattle per week. My brother, Bruce Hayes, was the Production Manager and against impossible odds made the plant really tick for the first time. Killing three thousand Cattle with the same staff that were pushed to kill one thousand five hundred Cattle. The result of Bruce in increased production meant profits of Three Hundred Thousand Pounds weekly with a future as long as one could see. In 1974 Clones made 8 sterling million clear, Tax Free on all exports. This was now an Empire with farms of one thousand acres, feedlots for two thousand Cattle as well as Enniskillen with projects costing a further 2 sterling million.. Tunney Meat Packers was now a force in the Irish Meat Industry, Hugh was the first IRISH MEAT BARON and I was his right hand Man.Hugh Tunney sold out for ten million pounds in 1993.Larry Goodman now owns Clones as he does most of Ireland.You see the Meat Trade is not the First Man off the starting block, rather the first man over the line.
Chapter Twenty One
The French Connection.
In 1954 the Main Meat Market in Paris was Les Halles, situated between La Pigelle and Stalingrad, this Vast Market was like a Big Dirty Smithfield.
There were slaughtering facilities there, before the war. 
The Traders operated the same way as Smithfield mainly meat on commission.
Because the prices were so much higher than England, when the gate was opened, everyone was greedy to supply.
What the English Wholesalers didn’t Reckon for was claims, claims and more claims.
Also the French Boys took fourteen days credit, payments were then always late.
Claims for bad condition, late delivery, missing the early market, weight loss, short weight.
Lambs to heavy, lambs to light. Despite all of this, the English and Irish kept sending lambs.
Les Halles was closed in 1972 and moved out to Rungis near Orly Airport.
Whilst the market is bigger and better the claims are still the same.
The French boys won’t work on 5%, I can not name one man, who has made money in Les Halles or Rungis. Having said that a friend of mine, as recent as last year, decided to have a go at lambs to Rungis “Fools Rush In”.
The Good Lamb Operaters, sell their lambs direct to Supermarkets and dump the left overs in Rungis.
The thing is that France, unlike England supports the local Boucherie, You will always have the Butcher and the Baker in France, It’s tradition.
The Supermarkets can sell the rest, but those two shops will remain, a good Algerian shop in Paris will do 300 lambs a week.
France is the Worlds Largest Eater of Lamb.
When you go to a French Restaurant or Hotel, how they “Go On”, about the great French lamb.
Every night in Rungis there are 20/ 30,000 English and Irish Lambs.
The Bulk of the French lamb today are English store lambs, Albeit finished off in France.
Having said this the French market is the safety net of the English lamb Industry.
When there was a Cow Trade in England, for forty two years from 1954 to 1996, the French were good buyers of heavy cow Pistola Hinds.
The Horse Meat Trade has nearly finished there are only three Horse Export Plants left in England Potter of Bristol, Maslam of Crawley and Turners of Crewe.
All the Horse Plants in Ireland have closed.
The French Meat Traders are very astute business men.
Guy Eschallier the President of Rungis Meat Market, used to handle 3000 lambs a day and 200 pistola hinds of beef.
His company Soviex was the biggest in Les Halles and Rungis.
He bought and sold all the meat himself.
Today the biggest players are Gaboret, Ovimpex and Eurodis I can name 20/30 people who have gone broke, supplying these three companies.
All the time they thought it would come good, they couldn’t see that “Claims” are par for
the course in Paris.
Mathews Butchers in their Hayday bought “Boucherie Bernard” this was some 60 shops yet
again, they didn’t reckon for the French Mentality.
Euromeats Cravan Arms, Keypac England Ireland, Owen Owen Wales still do good business with Lamb and Mutton in France, they compliment this, with the Pakistani Trade in England “niche” markets yet again.
The French Wholesalers made up for “Waterloo”, over and over again.
The “Big Ego” of many Wholesalers kept them supplying France, at times taking a worse price, than they could get in the UK..
I am referring to the sixties and early seventies when many wholesalers Rode out on bicycles, after their Sorjourn to Rungis.
Chapter Twenty Two.
Meat Trade Down Under.
In 1954 the Australian Meat Industry was firmly in the control of the Vestey Organisation.
With large Farms in Queensland, the Northern Territory, some the size of Belgium, these vasts lands were fattening hundreds of thousands of cattle.
The Flagship Plant was Riversone Meat Company, 30 kilometers West of Sydney.
Situated on 2000 acres divided up into ten 200 acres paddocks. 
10 days kill of cattle was always on hand or 6000 head.
This gave the cattle time to rest and settle, after thousands of kilometers in transportation in some cases. This avoided Dark Meat caused by stress.
With the Head Office in Miller St, North Sydney, Vestey had 50 retail shops under the Angliss Banner, Meat plants in Townsville, Rockhampton, Tennant Creek further large plants and equally big Boning Halls all over Australia.
The beef was the main Trade yet the Lamb, Mutton, Hides and Skins and Wool was also impressive.
All this meat going to Vestey Cold Stores, Vestey Ships, to his own shops in the UK.
Borthwicks were big players also, with connections going back to 1868.
Primarly a New Zealand lamb company, they had four big beef plants in Australia.
In Australia the wool, is the Main Product of sheep.
The mutton a by product, New Zealand is the opposite, lamb the Main Product and wool the by product.
David Throsby of Maitland Went on to be the Biggest Player in Australia, he started Charles David and ended up with 9 Meat Plants doing beef and mutton.
Throsby sold out to Adelaide Steam Ship Company, for 23 million dollars in 1987.
Presto Meats were big in Beef, Pork and small goods.
Started by two Holocaust Survivors, Andrew Fisher and Andrew Lederer, they had a small butchers shop in Leichaardt Sydney.
Making small goods in the back of the shop, they worked away until 1954, then they opened Presto Meat in Greenacre with a staff of 300.
Selling out to Adelaide Steamship for 12 million in 1980.
The Deal was they were to stay out of the Meat Trade for two years.
Two years to the day, they started again, at the Saleyards in Homebush, by 1985 the New company Primo was bigger than Presto, their first Company all the old staff came back and Primo became number one in the country.
The Homebush Saleyards were the third biggest in the World.
The Abattoir was the biggest in Australia.
It was all closed to make the site for 2000 Olympics. Andrew Lederer had the only Freehold Premises at Homebush the rest was owned by Sydney Corporation.
Andrew refused to sell for the Olympics.
Fought the Compulsory Purchase Orders, to buy his Site, time was running out for the Olympic Committee.
They paid Andrew 40 million for the Site, this was not enough Andrew demanded a New State of the Art factory on the Hume Highway.
This was to keep his 600 staff in employment.
The NSW Government built the plant for 20 million, without doubt the best small goods plant in the World.
Sadly, Andrew died early in 2004 a real Rags to Riches story, the bicycle to the Rolls Royce.
The Japanese are big players in Australia today with Feed Lots and Meat Plants, Mitsubishi and Nippon Meats the main Players.
West Australia was always State Government run, by West Australian Meat Company, the Government was losing 5 million a year on the Plants.
Brian Burke the Premier gave the five Goverment Plants to his Mate Laurie Connel of Rothwells Bank.
He gave Laurie 20 million Cash, as well, as the Plants. He justified this by claiming the State would no longer be losing 5 million a year, Brian Burke did 2 years prison when WA. INC all came on Top, Laurie died at 52 whilst on Bail, awaiting Trial for fixing a Horse Race, allegedly.
Robert Holmes A Court, Alan Bond, Brian Burke and Laurie Connel, Ran the West Australian Government like a Private Company.
Victoria is the Dairy State of Australia, with the Rainfal, its good Dairy, Beef and Sheep Country. Between April and August some 50,000 Bobby Calves are killed each week, the Dairy Breed bulls, are not taken on for Beef, A tragic waste but there is an abundance of cattle in Australia and no subsidies, these Calves are divided between four companies, Ox Hill Meat, Wagstaffes, Midfield Meats and J & R Meats.
They are Boned for Europe and the USA, These is a good Veal Trade on the Home Market with the Italian and Greek Communities for white veal..
The Pig Trade is now controlled by the Vietnamese Community, who only cut Pork and Chicken. Tulip the Danish Company, have a Plant at Scone in NSW, Bunge the American Grain Company, are the biggest slaughterers of pigs catering for Japan and the Vietnamese. The Australians are big consumers of Bacon and Ham.
To sum up Australia and the Meat Industry there is one Name a mile ahead of the rest.
Roger Fletcher, Fletcher International Dubbo NSW.
Roger started out as a Drover, he loves to tell the tale of reaching a Town one day, with a flock of sheep.
There was no water in the town, so he took the mob of sheep, on to the local Golf Course, leaving before sun up the next day.
Rogers started killing sheep in Mudgee and Gunnedah, at the Corporation Plants.
He had no Plant of his own, he was exporting cuts of mutton to 62 different countries.
In 1985 he decided to build a State of the Art Plant in Dubbo.
Dubbo boasts the biggest Cattle Sale yards in Australia.
Fletchers kill 9000 sheep a day in Dubbo, all boned packed and frozen, Roger then built a better plant in WA this plant does 10,000 sheep a day.
So Fletchers in full swing do 100,000 ewes a week.
They Fellmonger all the skins blend the wool with farmers wool.
The only operation in the World, that can Fellmonger Wool, good enough, to blend with fine merino clip wool, from Farms.
Roger Fletcher a Lion amongst Men. When he took the gamble on the new plant.
Some one asked one of the ANZ Bank Men, were they afraid of the Risk.
The Banker replied “We are backing the Man”. The meat trade World Wide has always
had the most amazing characters men with nerves of steel.
Australia had its share of scandals, the kangaroo Meat and Horse Meat, sold as beef to the USA for years, several big players did a bit of time over that one.
The Live Shipping Trade is massive in Australia some weeks 160,000 sheep.
This keeps a good floor on the trade, there is flourishing Live Cattle trade to Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and North Africa.
The Big Boats carry 60,000 sheep on 11 decks or 12,000 head of cattle on 6 decks.
There are only two main Supermarket Chains, Coles and Woolworths. Both Companies buy their own Livestock and kill themselves. Australia would have to be the leading Meat Country in the World. The Poultry Industry is massive as well, sadly the Unions have made things hard.
When they broke the English Car Industry in the sixties and seventies, all the Shop Stewards took the ten pound boat to Australia. If there was work in bed the Trade Unionists would sleep on the floor, every country has its problems.
Brazil has now taken over from Australia as the leading Beef Industry.
Brazil is booming and the Expert Economists, predict the Fifth Economy of the World, by 2025.
The Australian Retail Trade is the best in the World, a good Butchers shop will cut 15 cattle, 200 lambs 30 pigs a week, plus chicken and rabbit.
This amount of meat gives the Butchers so much practice, they become extremely fast and efficient.
The Window Displays have to be seen to be believed, with meat being traditionally cheap, there is great competition between the Butchers.
I have never seen anything to compare with the Australian Retail Butcher, Vestey was the leading Retailer with his Angliss Group of shops.
This followed by A.J Bush who had over 100 shops, prior to the advent of the Supermarket.
Andrew Bush made his money out of Meat and Bonemeal, collecting all the Fat and Bones from Butchers, on the Eastern Seaboard.
Peters Meats would be the third biggest players, Nick Peters started with one shop in Campsie Sydney.
His partner was an Accountant, when Nick opened his second shop, the Accountant pulled out saying “Nick was Expanding to fast”, 60 shops later Nick got into killing his own cattle at Mudgee, he built his own Lamb Plant in Harden NSW and began Wholesaling lamb and Mutton..
With Nevile Newton, Nick took over the Corporation Export plant at Golbourne, this was the start of Southern Meats.
Peters would be handling 40/50,000 sheep weekly several hundred cattle.
They have Small Goods Factories, Boning Halls and still several Retail Shops in the large shopping malls.
Nick again is the coming in on a bicycle and today driving a Rolls Royce. Nick Modeled his shops on AJ Bush, this was not a bad Precedent for anyone.
Chapter Twenty Three..
Argentina.
Argentina was on the Crest of a Wave in 1954.
England would take all the Quarters of Beef they could offer.
The war in Korea meant good prices for Corned Beef, after the end of the war in 1945.
The Vestey Group ruled in Argentina with Campos or Farms, Meat Plants Cold Stores and the Union Castle Shipping Line.
Vestey also owned large farms in Uruguay and Brazil. 
Armours were the other big players with depots in all the main towns of England as well as the main meat markets..
Swifts operation was similar to Armours with depots in the UK plants in Argentina.
Sansinina were similary situated, likewise Wilson Meats, all riding on the Argentinean Steers back. Packing House were a smaller operation with one plant, Stall on Smithfield Manchester and Liverpool.
The second biggest players after Vestey were CAP Corporation of Argentina Producers.
With offices at Smithfield, complete with Heli-Pad they were big players.
It just kept getting better and better until 1967 and he Ban on Carcases to England.
This brought Argentina to a standstill.
Leibig could keep going with the Fray Bentos Corned beef, Oxo and Bovril, all carcase trade was stopped.
Politics was bad, with Isabel Peron as President, the third wife of Juan Peron in 1973.
The plants credit to them, got Vacuum Pac off the ground, then England joining the EEC stopped them again in 1972/ 3.
Followed by the Brutal Military Dictatorship in 1976.
By this time the English company of Vestey had been Nationalized Armours, went broke trying to trade in English and Irish beef, through their Depots in England.
Sansinina did the same, like wise C.A..P.
Swifts pulled out, Wilson meats sold out.
The Packinghouse group sold their stall on Smithfield, the Frigorifico is still operating in Buenos Aires, under the name of Supbga. All the Beef Plants were centered in Buenos Aires.
The Sale Yards at Liniers had 40,000 cattle every day, 5 days a week.
In 1972 after England joined the E.E.C., New Zealand and Australia went out and found new markets for meat.
Argentina sat back waiting for something to Turn Up!.
Today 32 years later the Argentineans are still waiting, Brazil have now overtaken Argentina markets, breeding, meat plants, Brazil today is the second biggest beef producer in the World.
Brooke Bond Leibig closed the doors in 1974 after the death of Peter Blackburn.
Buenos Aires is the most Cattle and Meat Orientated Town, in the World. With the Sale Yards today, with 70,000 cattle weekly, the meat plants, there are 30 Export Plants in Buenos Aires alone.
Every Argentinean eats 65 kilos of meat per year, compared with Europe 25 kilos.
Multiply this by 45 million people and you have a massive Domestic Market
The home market takes Flank, to cook on assados or Bar B QS. This compliments the export of prime cuts.
There is a big sheep industry in Patagonia, the South of the Country this trade is just coming alive for the first time..
Benetton the Italian Fashion House are big players in the Sheep, Wool and Lamb Trade.
Argentina is also a big exporter of Horse Meat, Chicken and Hare Meat, there is no doubt for the first half of the last century and 1954 to 1967 Argentina were the World Leaders in the Beef Industry.
The skills of the slaughtermen, the quality of the plants, the rainfail, supply of grass and numbers of cattle, make in a Cattle Mans Dream.
All the leather is processed and finished in Buenos Aires, creating valuable employment and value adding.
There is a great demand for offal at prices affordable to the poor people, tripe is a favorite dish of the working class.
The writer is activity involved in the Argentinean Meat Industry, today the potential is still here for Argentina to rise, like the Phoenix from the Ashes.
Sadly the corruption of the Menem years has Tainted the Industry.
The Hilton Subsides introduced by Brussels are all divided up in Buenos Aires.
$190 million USA, is divided by three big players, the “Crumbs” are handed out to the other EU Plants.
The Head of SENASA meat and livestock board, was suspended, pending investigation over this corruption in 2003.
The meat Plants have no marketing or marketing skills.
They live on the Hilton Quota, receive payments for meat, in overseas Banks.
Brokers sell meat to Brokers who then sell it to Brokers.
A 500 kilos herford steer costs $300 USA in Argentina, this is one quarter of European prices. One third of Australian prices, despite these cheap cattle the beef plants can’t make money.
The Argentinean Meat Industry is run by Organized Crime.
They are known as the “Frigo Mafia” the meat is not sold rather “Pissed Away” to London and Frankfurt Trading Offices.The Argentinean Plants don’t sell the meat. They take what they are given. This is then passed back to the poor old Farmer.
Thankfully the Americans and English are again buying plants in Argentina.
We have the Libyans, Maltese and Spanish Building as well.
When the trade comes back to the Organized Beef Plants, it will again find a level.
The Gangsters and Crooked Politicians, will only last as long as the Subsidies. The great shame is the Real Money, was all going to the Brokers and Traders overseas.
Having said this, the disgraced President of SENASA, walked away with $70 million. Corruption is only wrong, if your not getting a tickle yourself. When Swifts went Belly Up, Campbell’s Soup bought the operation. The Management took Campbell’s, to the cleaners Big Time. When they drained the Company dry, they Orchestrated a Management “Buy Out”. Stealing it for a Song, they have gone on to be the Biggest Meat Traders in the Country, getting each year, the “Lions Share” of the Hilton Quota. Nice Work, if you can get it.
Chapter Twenty Four.
South Africa, Botswana.
Mention beef to any one from South Africa they will say Bull Brand. In 1954 Cyril Hurvitz invented, Bull Brand Corned Beef and Beef Exract the exact Replica of Leibig in Argentina.
Cyril had a large Stand at City Deep, the main Abattoirs of Johanesberg. 
He later built a new complex out at Krugersdoorp West of Joberg.. This plant had capacity of 800 cattle a day.
Hurvitz opened a Trading Office in London and was selling South African Beef, with great success, mainly frozen in Boxes.
South Africa was the sixth biggest Exporter of Beef in the World, sadly today she is an importer and far from self sufficient.
Hurvitz did the Kosher Contract for Israel each year. Supplied all the Wimpy Bars on the African Continent.
This was later replaced by Mc Donalds and Burger King.
All in all with Feed Lots, Farms and a String of Racehorses Cyril was the Cattle King of Africa, In 1983 Cyril sold out to Vliecentraal, a Cooperative, yet kept his Trading Office in London, for a few years after that. There were seven or eight smaller players mainly Andrew Mouton and Heidleberg Meats, they were also in the export game.
South Africa was the Fourth Biggest Wool Exporter and the biggest Exporter of Game in the World, the Venison was shipped to Germany Scandinavia mainly.
Botswana was a different story, a small Cattle Country, The Government built one Plant for the whole Country. 
Alf Meade of Reading designed the plant, at Lobatse, to kill 2000 cattle a day.
A Village was built to house, the 1500 employees and this was the birth of “Eckho Brand” Vacuum Pack Beef. Surprise, surprise, this was all marketed exclusively through Meade Lonsdale. Having said this, by centralizing and with the guidance of Alf Meade, they turned out a wonderful product the Beef, with Color Codes for quality, into three grades, Gold label, Red label, Black label. So simple, so easy to market, once again Meade had proved to be a Pioneer of the Industry. Vestey operated two plants in the old Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, with correct management I consider Zimbabwe the best Cattle Country in the World. Especially in the South, around Bullawayo, back to Butts Bridge and the Botswana and South Africa Borders, so today in the new millennium, Africa can not feed themselves and are sadly, no longer players on the International Scene.
Chapter Twenty Five.
Meat Men and Racing, the Sport of Kings and Butchers.
Find me a good Meat Man and you will find he has Race Horses. Lord Vestey for years was Chairman of the Jockey Club.
Today Sam Vestey, is the Queens Master of the Hunt.
Many Races and Race Meetings, have been sponsored by Vesteys.
The Dewhurst Plate and so on. Peter Blackburn had 20 good Steeple Chasers with Miss Morris, Peter started the Oxo Plate at Taunton, Brook Bond Stakes, Peters Untimely death was a big loss to the Industry and to Racing.
David Thompson boasts the finest Establishment in Newmarket, I am told, a yard with over 100 boxes. David pulled the “Coup of the Century”. B Thompson picking up FMC for around 6 million pounds, asset stripping it, bringing in North Devon Meat. Marshals, Canvins, Numerous Poultry Plants.
Building a Massive Portfolio of Meat Companies.
Selling out for 842million pounds on the shake of a hand.
Bill Hawke, John Hill, Tim Brookshaw, Potters of Bristol all had good Steeple Chasers.
Oliver Carter had Otter Way in the Grand National.
Terry Biddlecombe who has won the Cheltenham Gold Cup three years on the trot, with “Best Pal” Terry started out in his Family Business, Nether Stowey Meat Company in Bridgewater. Curly Bell had good Horses with his Son in Law Arther Pitt.
The Cobden Family at Martock Trained good Steeple Chasers.
John Pointon has a good string of Flat Horses.
The Irish boys just the same with Seamus Purcells fine horse Buck House the Horgons Hugh Tunney, Crawford Scott Ian Mc Gahy all had not usefull but good horses.
When the Meat Men go Bad or Belly Up even the Bailifs and Receivers, find it hard to part a Meat Man from his Horses and Mercedes.
Take the House, the Shop, the Abattoir, the Truck, “Woe Betide” the man who trys to take a Butchers Race Horse.
I have never been to a Race Meeting yet without running into a couple of Meat Men.
They will always tell you how Bad Trade is, then put a couple of hundred on with the Bookie, from a Wad of notes in the pocket.
The Racing game like the Meat Game is not a Game for Children.
Nor are they Spectator Sports, you have to be in the game to get “The Buzz”.
Chapter Twenty Six
The Bankers Movers and Shakers.
Charterhouse Finance Purchased a Meat Company in Wellingborough called Moss Waltham in the Late fifties.
Specalising in Bad Cows killing and boning, they also sent two Trucks each day, to clean up all the meat left over on Smithfield.
They made big money and sold out to HJ Heinz.
Heinz were the real Rolls Royce to Bicycle people the UK Managing Director at the time Tony Oreily, did drive a Rolls
Heinz also bought Leanstock at Shewsbury for big money.
They were going to Revolutionise the Meat Trade.
I am told in Shewsbury, they had a machine, where you put sausage meat in one end,
After a few minutes, you got four sausages the other end, in a tin of Baked Beans.
The Heinz adventure lasted about two years.
They found a Buyer for Leanstock. However Wellingborough was closed for years.
Hodge Finance of Cardif, Bankrolled Peter Blackburns, Old Foreman a Guy called Hawker.
Hawker built a Boning Hail opposite Peters plant, then belonging to Brooke Bond Leibig.
Hawker had every Irish Plant, knocking at his door to sell Cows..
He went Belly up for 6 million pounds and got 5 years Gaol to boot.
Fitz Lovel Group, there was a Mysery, a Merchant Bank, Headed at one time by Jimmy Sanger before Jimmy Joined Mc Pherson Train.
Jimmy was a bit like John Bloom, of the Rolls Washing Machine Fiasco in the Sixties.
Fitz Lovel bought Millers of Poole a good Small Goods Company, Keymarkets intialy run by Sid Perkins, then John Boxall.
West Layton Butchers and several other small Companies.
This along with a couple of Stalls on Smithfield.
Fitz Lovel did an “Exit Stage Left”, I never did know the outcome.
Jimmy opened offices on three Continents as a Trader.
He gave all his Clients a Champagne Trip down the Seine, when he opened his Paris Office.
Doug Farrely was in the Dublin Office, Doug a nice fellow Ex Royal Marine, didn’t know a cows tail from a pigs ear.
After all the Pomp and Ceremony, it took Jimmy less than two years to go Belly Up for Twenty Million.
It was an expensive glass of champagne for all clients in Paris..
Brooke Bond Leibig were like a Ship without a Rudder, when Peter Blackburn died.
They closed the plant in Uruguay after 100 years, closed Argentina, closed Chard, sold the Stalls on Smithfield, Peters Charisma was the Essence of the Company.
All is not Gold that Glitters, as the Irish farmers Coops found out to their cost.
When Brian Van Zwananberg bought a small Cooperative in Castlebar Ireland he spoke only broken English.He had his two Stalls on Smithfield doing Dutch Veal, Bacon and Irish Beef. His First day in Castlebar he sat in the Boardroom, on the wall was a Portrait of a Man. Brian said “Who is that, where is he”.
The Manager replied “Oh That’s Paddy so and so, our Founder he’s dead now Mr Zwananberg”.
Brian said in his best English “Take it down, we deal in dead pigs, not dead fucking men”.
You could have heard a pin drop. I heard this story first hand from Tommy Hines the Old Castlebar Accountant for many years.
Bankers didn’t like the Meat Trade, Turnover to high, Profits to low and the Risks far to great.
The Movers and Shakers come and go Lesle Hughs, Basil Palmer, Gregory Shapiro, David Manly, Jimmy Sanger, Bill Hill, Bob Darrington, Wilbro, Doug Wilkins, Amos Bridgeman, Ross Brothers. Tom Tweed, Bill Speake, Ken Hume, Mark Clarfelt, Liam Marks, Ross Reid, John Copass all these men and many more were going to Revolutionise the Meat Trade, without getting a bit of Blood on their hands or Shit on their boots, suffice to say they are no longer in the trade, not a Game for Children.
I recall Ross Reid coming to me in 1977, when I was going through a bad time Financially.
Reid said “Hayes you will never have the money I have”.
I replied “Ross be careful on the way up, you meet the same people on the way down”.
Within two years, Hawker Clipped Reid for 600 thousand pounds, a German Company for a similar amount.
This of course this was not Reids money, he was working for Hugh Tunney at the time.
You have to take the Ups with the downs, 27 years later I control five Meat Plants, Farm Quarter of a million acres and Employ 2500 people..
Reid works in a Cold Store in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland. I am entering my 51st Year in the Meat Industry.
Reid lasted less than 5 years as a Meat Trader, not a Game for Children.
Never Kick a Meat Man when he’s down, the chances are he will get back up again and come out fighting.
Many many of us in the Industry have gone down or come close to the wire.
When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
We’ve had the Accountants come into the Trade, Michael Colline Clover Meats, John Copress Tunney Meats, they never stay the course.
Reid was also a Accountant, Graduating from Queens University in Belfast.
He got he first break working for Browns of Belfast the undertakers.
Ross then took over their Meat Transport Business, credit to him, he made a success of his Transport Company, in later years.
A set price to bury a dead human carcase is a far cry from trading a steer carcase.
Chapter Twenty Seven..
How the Times Have Changed.
Every December is the Smithfield Show at Earis court where the best Beef Animals are shown and judged.
Various Retail Butchers compete for the Champion Animal in the Auction each year.
This was wonderful for Presteige, in the days the house wife knew her meat and wanted the best.
Over the years Dewhursts and Eastmans have purchased more Champions than anyone else.
The Cattle Markets all over the country, have a similar Show, then a Rozette and Placard is given to the buyer and seller.
This would be proudly placed in Window Dispays in the Butchers window for Xmas.
There is always a category for Pigs Lamb and Poultry and of course the Xmas Turkey, over the years we have had Turkeys 60/ 70 lbs, the weight of a small Porker Pig.
How the Breeds have charged in 50 years, many breeds now obsolete.
My father would prepare a Roast joint, then put a Lump of Fat on the top, to cook the joint.
I recall the Devon farmers and the fatter the beast was, or the fatter the pig was, the better.
Today you don’t hear of Fat Bacon or Beef Dripping Sadwich’s.
The main Beef Breeds in 1954 were Hereford, Angus, Devon, Shorthorn. Welsh Black and Lincoln Red.
Today its Charolais, Blegium Blue, Simmintel and Limmousine.
The sheep breeds were, Devon Longwool, Devon Closewool, Scotch Blackface, Welsh Mountain, Romney Marsh, Lincoln, today its Textel, Dorset, Suffolk in that order.
Pigs were Large Black, Large White Wessex Saddleback, Essex Saddleback Gloucester Old Spots
Today its Landrace, Camborough, Danish Breed Duroc.
Meat today is all about muscle and not fat, this makes sence the price of fat should be a lot less than meat.
So all in all, we have changed the Breeds to accommodate the change in People’s eating habits.
The Butcher who adapted to these changes did well.
I went back to Devon in 2000 and was surprised to see John Martin, A Master Butcher, has in fact Expanded his Business to 6/ 8 Shops and his own Abattoir.
All the other Butchers in the area had closed, to make way for the Supermarkets.
I was so intrigued by this, I sat down and wrote to Martins Butchers, in Okehampton and offered my congratulations.
This proves the point if you Serve Your Trade Correctly, it will in return, Serve You.
This chapter would not be complete without a mention of Mr. Gorge Downes from Axminster in Devon.
George’s Mother was the Manager of the Eastmans shop in Axminister, the only Woman to manage a Vestey Shop. Young George served his Trade with Vestey went on to become a Shop Manager.
He was then taken to London, to further his career as a Master Butcher.
Returning to Devon at 40 years old to manage South West England for Dewhursts and Eastmans.
Goerge had 117 Retail Shops a Factory and Slaughter house as well as Cold Stores, under his Wing.
George Downs was a Familiar Figure in the Devon Cattle Auctions with Black Bowler, Black Suit and Big Black Wosley Car.
A Master Butcher “Par Excellence” I was talking to George this very morning June 25th 2004.
When I was a boy of 12, George would collect me on a Saturday Morning to go to Exeter, to kill sheep for Vestey. I was a Child Prodigy with a knife.
I would get 5 pounds for a Saturday morning when a farm laborour got 7 pounds for a weeks work, not bad for a 12 year old Boy.
I learnt so very much from this Master Butcher and feel so very Blessed, in the Winter of my life, I can tell him so Today and thank him.
Today George farms 300 acres outside Exeter and runs a Herd of Sucking Cows, a wonderful man and the Epitomy of the Master Butcher.
I have a Photograph of my Father in my Office and a Plaque of Brass Saying
Bob Hayes
“Master Butcher”
1921 to 1979
My Father was a Master Butcher, teaching me, the gut house in 1954 as a boy of 7.
Later to leg and Dress Lambs and Cattle in 1954.
I could kill 70 sheep a day Solo as a boy of 11 or dress 15 cattle solo.
I was a Child Prodigy with a knife as a Slaughterman.
I went on to Exeter Technical College to do the Advanced Diploma, in the Institute of Meat.
A Butcher called David Buckley, in Exeter taught me the Retail Trade and how to cut up Meat and Dress a Window.
Graham and Harold Jasper, John Stevens, Stan Tamblin educated me into the Livestock Sales the hard way.
I was buying in the auctions as a boy of 15 against these men.
Sam Lias a Master Butcher, who worked for John Martins father, Taught me the “Tricks of the Trade” and how to drink Whisky..
For 50 years I have worked in the Meat Industry in England, Ireland, France, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia and Argentina, I am still learning on a daily basis.
My life was Tarnished with Alcohol and I became a Chronic Alcoholic, today thanks to Alcoholics Anonymous I don’t need to drink.
What a Blessed Man, I feel, at the age of fifty seven, being in Argentina doing it all again.
The lessons I learnt in fifty years made me what I am today.
I feel I am an Elder Stateman of the Meat Industry.
I Designed and opened a Lamb Plant in Patagonia that does 4000 lambs a day, last year.
We designed a new Lamb Plant that opens in August this year. Which is the Most Modern Hi- Tech in the World today.
My main Beef Plant at Gonzalez Catan is the Biggest Kill line in the Southern Hemisphere, we can hang 187 cattle from the Stunning Pen to the Wash.
Our biggest day was 4070 cattle, I know every man on the line by his First Name.
The President of Argentina opened our new Beef Plant at Azul o 14th June this year.
This is my Baby, a miniture of Gonzalez Catan with capacity of 90 cattle an hour.
Situated beside the Race Course in Azul, this is Home from Home, so I have a House on the Plant, which is situated on 120 acres of good grazing, in La Pampa, Master Butchers and Race Horses, like Salt and Pepper, Gin and Tonic, one is no good without the other.
I find when I read my local paper from Devon, I am reading the Obituaries first.
A sign of growing old, I am so Delighted I had the Chance to Record the events of 50 years, Meat Men are Breed on their own, one thing is certain you will never have a Boring time in our Industry.
I have loved watching the Industry I change, over the years.
School Holidays when I was a boy, I would visit various Slaughterhouses in Devon, to get ideas for my fathers Abattoir.
Before I could drive, I would ride in the Fat and Bone Truck, to visit these other slaughterhouses.
People thought I was quite strange. Last year I flew out a firm of Engincers from England and second Company from New Zealand, to Design my new Lamb Plant.
Sat in the Canteen, I drew on the table cloth, exactly what I wanted. These Guys did not think I was strange.
Now the Plant is built with capacity 5000 lambs a day one shift..
All the ideas I have gleaned in 50 years from Devon to Australia to Argentina.
I think I will die with my boots on, covered in blood and shit, or sat at my desk thinking I had better go and take a look at the Kill floor..
I hope this book has been a “Walk Down Memory Lane” for the “Old Timers” and “Inspirational” for the younger people in the Trade.
Today we have many women in the Industry Playing Vital Roles.
Whilst I know the Industry has a Reputation for “Breaking your back and at times Breaking your heart”.
All in all, I wouldn’t Trade places with any man today.
Today “I am everything in life, I always wanted to be”.
A Master Butcher.
Source: newsroom - meattradenewsdaily.co.uk
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