DOWNTOWN Radio Presenters Gary and Glen were the guests of honour at the grand opening of a new butcher shop in Ballinamallard.

Graham Family Butchers, which is run by award-winning butcher Robert Graham, has officially moved to a custom-built shop in Ballinamallard, having first been established in 2023 on the premises of the former K. Moore Butcher in the town. 

On Friday last,  the occasion on 34 Main Street was marked by the appearance of the Downtown Radio presenters, a barbecue, prizes and much more.

Mr. Graham, who was crowned UK Young Butcher of the Year in 2020, said that "connecting farms to fork" served as the inspiration to open his own business.

"While I was the son of a dairy farmer, I never wanted to commit myself to milking cows seven days a week," he said. "However, I always wanted to give something back to agriculture and farming, so becoming a butcher was the perfect fit.

"I was the UK Young Butcher of the Year in 2020, so to go from winning that to actually having my own shop is quite surreal.

"Going out on your own is scary, but the Fermanagh people have been very good and the support has been phenomenal."

Mr. Graham previously worked for K. Moore, and took over the business in April 2023.

He then moved to a new premises in July, with the official opening taking place on Friday. 

"It was an exciting and nerve-wracking time for us. There was a lot to put together in a very short space of time, but we got there.

"Being able to get Gary and Glen from Downtown Radio down for the opening was the icing on the cake!"

The new shop follows on from another major achievement in just May of this year, where Mr. Graham was crowned Northern Ireland's Supreme Sausage Maker.

He has also received acclaim for his Artisan Award winning Rib-eye Burger, and this commitment to quality is at the heart of Mr. Graham's ethos when it comes to his offerings.

"People say work is work, but to me, being a butcher is much more than that," Mr. Graham explained.

"I you find something that you like and you enjoy, we would find that you get good satisfaction out of it.

"This is reflected in the quality of the end product, and I think people have started to realise that when that going to a local butcher shop is different than a big supermarket.

"We found that during Covid, a lot of people shopped locally rather than heading into the bigger towns and villages. People realised that they had it as good on their own doorstep as they had driving 10 miles into a bigger town or city."

Graham Family Butchers is situated at 34 Main Street, Ballinamallard and can be contacted on 02866 388 687. Follow their page on Facebook for weekend and monthly deals.