Aberdeenshire-based family business Murdoch Allan has opened its first butcher shop as part of its commitment to improve access to local, affordable and high-quality produce.
The shop in Peterhead, which opens today, will offer locally sourced meats, restaurant-quality pre-prepared meals, and sides as part of its vision to create a one-stop destination for quality butchery products. The new shop has also created six additional jobs.
The Queen Street butchery was previously owned by Tommy Ritchie and has been a popular destination for more than 22 years.
The opening marks an exciting milestone for Murdoch Allan, which currently operates six bakery shops across the north east and supplies most of Scotland’s leading supermarkets, as well as hundreds of independent retailers across the region.
The firm employs more than 180 people and also breeds award-winning pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle from a small holding in Hatton.
Murdoch Allan’s Managing Director, Paul Allan who runs the business with his wife Katrina, said: “When the opportunity came up to bring the butcher shop into the Murdoch Allan family of businesses, we saw it as a natural next step in our farming journey.
“As cattle farmers ourselves, we know the importance of quality, consistency, and taking pride in the products we make. The addition of the butcher shop not only allows us to expand our range of quality butchery, bakery, and grocery products, but it also gives us even greater control over the quality of meats that we use in our pies in the bakery.
“Innovation has always been a big part of how we’ve grown, and this expansion allows us to continue evolving while keeping our customers and the quality of our products at the centre of everything we do.”
Built over three generations, Murdoch Allan has earned a reputation for traditional favourites, including its famous Aberdeen butteries and award-winning Aberdeen Pie, which is a fan favourite at Aberdeen’s Pittodrie football stadium, while continuing to innovate to meet the changing tastes of its customers.
Staying true to the values that have shaped Murdoch Allan, the new shop will focus on quality, locally sourced products, outstanding flavour, and customer service, together with traditional butchery skills.
Customers will be able to choose from a carefully selected range of locally sourced meats, with plans to offer premium cuts from the business’s own Aberdeen Angus cattle, providing a unique connection between farm, butcher and customer.
This is not the first time that Murdoch Allan has stepped in to ensure important local outlets can continue to support their communities. In 2024, Murdoch Allan acquired a bakery premises in Dundee, where it not only protected the jobs of the existing workforce but has gone on to more than double staff numbers.
Murdoch Allan Butchery is located at 18 Queen Street, Peterhead and will be open Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 8am-5pm, with a late-night opening on Thursdays 8am–8pm, and open on Saturdays between 8am and 4pm. The shop will be closed on Sundays.
Photo Credit: Korero PR
