A top butcher has urged people to buy their turkey and ham local this Christmas to save jobs.
Dave Lang, who has more than 50 years of experience and is the chairman of the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland, has asked the public to make a big effort for the
last few months of the year.
He said: “We need people to buy local. While people were queuing to get into big supermarkets, your small local shops and butchers had no queues.
“There’s been a turnaround in people keeping it local this year which is great but we need to do more.
“By shopping in your local butchers, you’re supporting local farms, suppliers and also the butchers themselves.”
Mr Lang was a driving force behind solving a pay dispute between the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and local authorities that could have seen 100,000 less turkeys on dinner tables this Christmas.
The issue was resolved on Friday after weeks of uncertainty which would have seen small abattoirs forced to shut due to being unable to adhere to safety regulations.
Mr Lang said: “Abattoir closures meant butchers would have to deal with big suppliers and meat from those places is harder to trace.
“Butchers prefer to source their meat locally and build up a relationship with local farmers.
“Every butcher I’ve ever spoken to has told me they have customers they will only see at Christmas for their turkey and ham. The other 51 weeks of the year they don’t come in. But it shows the importance of the trust for local butchers.”
Mr Lang added that due to the victory for the Associated Craft Butchers of Ireland, it has lifted their status.
He said: “I told the lads last week that if we worked together, we wouldn’t be beaten. And we weren’t.
“We made a song and dance about it and it worked. We all need to look after one another.”
For the latest news and breaking news visit dublinlive.ie/news.
Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
Follow us on Twitter @DublinLive - the official Dublin Live Twitter account - real news in real time.
We're also on Facebook/dublinlive - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the capital.
