A Ryan Butchers, and there next door pie shop, have been hard at it this Christmas with some shifts starting just after midnight. It a much loved family butchers with some people travelling miles for there goods. We catch up with the boss for a chat.
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00:00Paddy Ryan, hello sir, how are you?
00:02I'm fine, thank you.
00:03So we're here in Much Wenlock and you've got a couple of places, you've got the pie shop next door.
00:08Yes.
00:09Which is called...
00:10What's it called?
00:10Pig and Pie.
00:11Pig and Pie.
00:12And then we've got the more traditional butchery side here.
00:15That's correct.
00:16And how long have you been here in Much Wenlock, Paddy?
00:18My father came here in 1963.
00:20Wow, a few years then.
00:22Yeah, yeah.
00:23So how's it been this year then? I know you've had an early start because you've been open at 6.30.
00:27So what time do you have to get in?
00:30One or two of the days we've been in just after midnight.
00:34Just after midnight, wow, to get all the prep done and everything.
00:36That's right.
00:37So are you looking quite fresh?
00:41You're not feeling it, I'll take it.
00:42That's the hot tea and the chocolate biscuits.
00:45Yeah, yeah, keeps you going.
00:47So you open at 6.30 in the morning and quite often you've got people queuing from the off, haven't you?
00:52Yes.
00:53Our worst day was yesterday where there was quite a queue.
00:57Today, not bad, only six or seven.
00:59Yeah.
01:00So you're off tomorrow?
01:02Yes, yes, my grandchildren demand attention and I'll be building Lego.
01:07Oh, great, great.
01:09Simple things.
01:10Yeah, yeah, awesome.
01:11So what do you have for Christmas Day?
01:13Because there's this debate, isn't there, you know, turkeys are traditional but a lot of people say, well it hasn't actually got that much flavour.
01:19Are people still, is it all about the turkey still or have you noticed a change over the years?
01:23The turkey is still very popular.
01:25Yeah.
01:26This year we're actually at the request of my daughter-in-law having a turkey.
01:30Okay.
01:31Beef is our normal thing or duck.
01:34I'm rather passionate about roast duck.
01:37Yeah.
01:38What about the good old goose? Is that, there's not on the cards to make a comeback then?
01:43We don't do too badly with geese.
01:45Okay, yeah.
01:46They are a very niche market.
01:48Yeah.
01:50They're probably the most expensive of birds and very difficult to feed a big number on.
01:57If you've got more than four people on a goose, you know, somebody's going to go a little short.
02:03I was hearing on the radio the other day, apparently they start off looking massive but once they're cooked they come out of the oven as a fraction of the size.
02:10Yeah, if you don't like the skin you've really got problems.
02:13Yeah, yeah, true, true.
02:15So which is the bigger business for you? Is it kind of this side in the butchery or is it the pie shop or is it 50-50 this time of year?
02:22It's this time of the year 50-50.
02:24Yeah, yeah.
02:25Then it sort of fluctuates depending on the weather.
02:29Yeah.
02:30During the nice summer weather the tourists in Wenlock help the pie shop.
02:35Yeah, yeah.
02:36During the colder weather we probably have the lion's share.
02:40Oh good, good stuff.
02:41So in terms of the pie shop, is there any particular pies? What's kind of, you know, what are people going for at the minute? What's the popular?
02:48The popular is the good old traditional steak and kidney.
02:53Yeah.
02:54Pork pie is a very popular one but that's a cold eating pie.
02:57Yeah.
02:58It tends to be better in the summer months.
03:00Got you.
03:01We do chicken, leek and bacon which is popular.
03:05Yeah.
03:07Sorry, lost that one.
03:11Go on.
03:12So you've got your chicken, leek and bacon.
03:14Yeah.
03:15We do a venison.
03:16We do a beef and red wine.
03:18They all have their own following.
03:20Yeah.
03:21And I know because we live Wolverhampton way and my wife comes here and gets her dad a little treat.
03:26You get people travelling, don't you, to come here?
03:28Oh yes, quite a way.
03:29I was going to say, what are some of the places that people are coming from?
03:34Well, we get quite a few from sort of over towards Bishop's Castle, Church, Dretton.
03:40Really anywhere where somebody wants to come out for a day and come to a more traditional shopping centre
03:48as opposed to a big centre or somewhere like Showsprit.
03:55Well, they obviously like the product, don't they? You know what I mean?
03:57Because they're travelling and they're coming back year on year.
04:00They are and we're busy. We're popular. We try our best.
04:07And that's all you can do and success hopefully will come your way.
04:12So any signs of you stepping down? Is there a next generation to come through?
04:17There is. My two sons are here. One is involved heavily in the shops.
04:22He actually runs the pie shop with his wife next door.
04:28I have another son who is very heavily involved into the bakery and it's a family business.
04:35That's nice, isn't it really? Well, I'm sure as he's ups and downs working with family there's a bit of both.
04:40No, I do as I'm told.
04:42You do as you're told.
04:44Well Paddy, thank you for serving customers in Much Wenlock and further afield
04:48and we wish you and the family all the best for Christmas.
04:51Thank you very much and the same to you.