A Co Tyrone butchers has spoken about their dedication to keeping things traditional while moving with the times.
Lowe Bros Master Butchers first opened in Stewartstown back in 1955, with their second shop following soon after in Coalisland in 1957.
In 1985, they opened a third branch in Dungannon.
Kevin Lowe, whose father and uncle started the business, took over the Stewartstown shop in 1979 and the rest is history.
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The family come from generations of farmers, and so strive to guarantee the quality of their meats from farm to fork, which owner Kevin believes to be a key contributor to customer satisfaction.
But the shop’s popularity goes much further, with many customers travelling 50 miles or more to get their hands on the quality products on offer at Lowe Bros.
Kevin Lowe talked us through what makes Lowe Bros stand out from the crowd, and how they’re constantly changing while sticking to their roots.
“We're in a village here, and we bring people to us. People will drive as far as 50 miles to come here to get our products. We have a really good team, it's very important to us for a successful business. I have brought all these people on along with me and everybody works well as a team.
“I'm second generation, my sons are third generation, we have a saying on the back of our shirts: 'three generations, one passion' which sums it up.”
The award-winning butchers has food of “the best quality” and high levels of customer service at the heart of everything they do. Employing 20 members of staff – including his two sons – Kevin says its important to them that customers enjoy their time at Lowe Bros.
He continued: “Whenever you travel here, we want it to be a real experience for people. There's no rush, you're into a nice ambiance, browse around, look at the oils and seasonings, read up on stuff.
“We don't supply anybody, so if you want our products you have to come to one of our places to get it. We look at ourselves as gourmet butchers. You get people coming in here saying, 'this is a treat for me', they'll travel down, and we've had people here travelling from down South as well. We're known for the best quality.”
And Lowe Bros are moving with the times in ways other than increasing the range of great quality products they can offer. Using social media sites such as Instagram and TikTok, they’re able to show off the shop to a different audience.
“We look at ourselves as traditional butchers with a modern edge,” Kevin continued.
“We are very much into moving with the times, at all times. We moved into the cooking end, which is a big part of our business now as well. We’re expanding the shop next year to offer a wider range again of homemade ready meals, salads, desserts, a wide range of breads.”
Over the years, noticing a rise in the number of people seeking out convenient food, Kevin and the team adapted to make homemade ready meals that can be heated up and on your plate in 20 minutes.
They have also noticed people are becoming adventurous in the kitchen, and educating themselves in how to cook different cuts of meat, as well as opting for slow cooking cuts such as brisket and flat iron steaks.
The past year has also thrown up some changes, too, with Kevin saying coronavirus lockdowns have changed many people’s mindsets.
He said: “Covid has changed people's way of thinking. I've been chatting to a few people who have gone out since the restaurants opened, and they've realised that they go out to treat themselves, but you can eat the best at home. People are doing a lot more cooking at home now as well.”
Kevin’s passion for what he does day in, day out, is evident, noting that he’s always striving to do better to improve the shop on a regular basis.
“I don't look at this as a job, I just love what I do,” he added. “Every week is a new week, at the end of every week, every Saturday night when I'm coming out of here, I say to myself 'that week's done, I need to do better next week.' That's how I drive myself.
“I'd like to thank everybody for your support over the past 66 years. We look forward to serving the community into the future.”
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