The Farmers Mart Aug/Sep 2015 - Issue 41 | Page 20

McIntyre Meats

Today, McIntyre Meats is far
different to when they managed
to get under way.
“Fortunately, with the work
both Lindsey and I have put
in and that of our great team,
we now have a contract for
Sainsbury’s with Randall Parker
Foods. We supply their Taste
the Difference range and we’re
in our eighth year with them.
There are many who slate
supermarkets but I can’t praise
either Sainsbury’s or Randall
Parker highly enough for the
way in which they work with u,”
he explained.
“When we started, we had a
team of about seven or eight
people and that’s now risen to
more than 20 full-timers, with
another five or six added each
July-December as the trade
picks up,” he said.

“As well as the Sainsbury’s
contract we also supply local
butchers - Cockett’s in Hawes
and Hammond’s in Bainbridge,
as well as several farmers with
their own produce.”
Martin is a great supporter
of his local livestock market in
Hawes and on the day I visited
he had bought what amounted
to around 25 per cent of all fat
sheep traded that day.
“I always try to get to Hawes
livestock market on a Tuesday
and I get to Kendal, Skipton,
Lancaster, Leyburn and Penrith.
The seasons determine just
how many lambs I’ll buy but
in the main season we will go
through 2,000 lambs a week
in the abattoir with Sainsbury’s
taking around 750-800 a week.
We also process a small amount
of cattle.|”

20 Aug/Sep 2015 www.farmers-mart.co.uk

This year has seen Martin
launch his new online business,
The Wensleydale Butcher,
selling boxed lamb and beef.
“It’s another add-on to our
offering and although it has
only been up and running a few
months, it is already working
well. We’re packaging steak and
lamb boxes that are then sent by
courier. The website looks good
and puts our message across
strongly about commitment to
local food production.”
The reality is that the
McIntyres need to have a mix of
business, particularly at times of
year when there isn’t the same
quantity of lamb about.
Lindsey, in addition to her
roles as office secretary,
general manager of office
administration, sales and all
other office functions, has also

developed two further strands
to the McIntyre business –
catering and the Wensleydale
Sheepskin Rug Company.
“We’ve had the catering van
for six years,” she explained.
“Before we got under way I
went to several agricultural
shows and watched how
others did it. Then we had our
own purpose-built truck built.
We take it to Wensleydale
Show and others at Reeth
and Moorcock. The furthest
we go is Tockwith Show, near
Wetherby.”
Lindsey now runs the main
tea tent at Reeth Show and last
year started catering for shoot
lunches. This has brought
about a whole new market and
ensures she is more than busy
from the Glorious 12th to the
end of January.
“I’m now out three days
a week with our catering
business and it has developed
another avenue for our meat
processing,” she said.
Lindsey also takes her
sheepskin rugs to Reeth Show
as well as selling them via the
Internet.