Knight Butchers celebrates 60th anniversary

Sausage champion Knight Butchers is celebrating its 60th anniversary.
Owner Chris White with staff in Knight Butchers as it is today, celebrating the 60th anniversary. Picture: Steve Robards SR1700349Owner Chris White with staff in Knight Butchers as it is today, celebrating the 60th anniversary. Picture: Steve Robards SR1700349
Owner Chris White with staff in Knight Butchers as it is today, celebrating the 60th anniversary. Picture: Steve Robards SR1700349

The shop in Strand Parade opened as new when the Maybridge estate was being built in Worthing.

One customer who still buys his meat there to this day remembers going in on the day the shop first opened, January 25, 1957.

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Mick Bashford, who now lives in Findon Valley, said: “My mum sent me in with half a crown to get some meat. There were only four shops there, the rest of the parade hadn’t been built.

Early days at the butchers shop W02162H7Early days at the butchers shop W02162H7
Early days at the butchers shop W02162H7

“The shop was different in those days. They always hung the carcasses around the shop.

“It’s always had a good reputation. When you taste the bacon from there, it’s nothing like what you get in the supermarket.”

The shop is now owned by Chris White, who has been a butcher there for more than 30 years. He worked with the original owner, John Knight, and took the business over ten years ago.

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“He bought it as a new shop so it has never been anything else,” said Chris.

John Knight in April 1988 with one of his national trophiesJohn Knight in April 1988 with one of his national trophies
John Knight in April 1988 with one of his national trophies

“We like to keep the traditions going and buy local. We try to go with the times but always with the side of a traditional butchers.

“We still hang our meat in the traditional way and still source whole carcasses because that way you are always going to get the best meat. We always put that at the foundations.”

Since the early days, Knight Butchers has been known for being a national sausage champion and to honour the tradition, Chris is creating a special sausage for the 60th anniversary celebrations. There will also be a week of special offers from Monday to next Saturday and on Wednesday, the 60th customer will receive a meat voucher in honour of the occasion.

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Knight Butchers is the only original shop still trading on the parade. John’s only child, Ann Marie Reohorn, remembers the work her parents put in to establish the business in its infancy.

Chris White with Al Murray, the Pub LandlordChris White with Al Murray, the Pub Landlord
Chris White with Al Murray, the Pub Landlord

John would go to market before he started in the shop at 6am and once it closed, he had the paperwork to do. John had been in the butchery trade since he left school at 14.

Over the years, his sausages won several first prizes in the Meat Federation’s national sausage competition.

John died in July 2006. His daughter ran the shop for a while but it proved difficult as she lives in Solihull.

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Since Chris, who said he felt part of the family, took over, the sausage success has continued, including receiving the golden sausage in 2012 from Al Murray, the Pub Landlord, at an event to mark the start of British Sausage Week.

Early days at the butchers shop W02162H7Early days at the butchers shop W02162H7
Early days at the butchers shop W02162H7

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