Local Food Hero Awards

"Have recently moved to area and found everyone very friendly and helpful. The products are of the highest quality and taste absolutely fabulous. A Winner all the way".

"Fab traditional butcher with very friendly helpful staff and suberb quality locally sourced produce. Also have the best bacon and Scotch pies I have ever tasted".

"Fantastic choice and friendly staff with a sense of humour, a rare find these days".

"Butcher offering a full selection of properly hung meats, including game and poultry. Friendly, helpful staff...especially Tommy. Fabulously tender beef and happy to cut steaks to any size! Always happy to offer recipe and cooking advice, they even produce a list of handy cooking tips".


Lauder butcher Shaw is upper crust for pies

At the end of the recent Steak Pie Evaluation event organised by the Scottish Federation of Meat Traders, the Borders pies turned out to be in the upper crust.

More than 150 steak pies were evaluated at two venues in Greenock and Perth back in August, by a range of judges from throughout the food industry.

And the winning piemen were presented with their awards at a ceremony held at Selkirk Rugby Club at the end of last month, with the Lauder firm of Thomas A. Shaw scooping the title of South East of Scotland Traditional Steak Pie Champion. Shaw’s also collected silver awards for its steak & black pudding pie, along with its steak and caramelised red onion pie.

George Deans, whose family firm owns Shaw’s in Lauder, along with the butchers shop in the food hall at Dobbie’s Garden centre at Dalkeith, and the Scottish Borders Abattoir in Galashiels, says everyone connected with the business is delighted at the award for top steak pie.

“It is always very satisfying to win awards such as this,” he said. “As a company we always source all our meat from Borders farms, which cuts down on food miles and ensures the highest quality for our customers".

“The public would not believe how much meat travels up and down the roads of the British Isles before it gets into their shopping basket".

“That’s why we would urge local shoppers to support local butchers and the great local farming community we have here in this region.”

Southern Reporter - 11th October 2007