An Oldham butcher has celebrated his business’s 40-year anniversary.

Neil Mellor, 62, who lives in Bardsley, opened his butchers aged just 22 on Abbey Hills Road in Oldham.

After spending 25 years there, Neil moved location in 2008 to his current location in Uppermill, where he has spent the last 15 years.

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He said: “It was a step forward with the business, it was a totally different, a lot busier area, it was a fresh challenge.

“It’s the best move I’ve ever made,” the butcher added – though he was grateful for his previous clientele, too."

Having been around for four decades, Neil has seen his customers grow up with him.

“I made friends on Abbey Hills with the customers who I still meet and have a drink with now. I watched kids grow up, and when I see them I have a drink with them.”

Now in his fourth decade of business, Neil remembers the highs and lows.

He remembers the year 2001 in particular for the devastating impact of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak.

The highly infectious disease, which affected cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats plunged the industry into a crisis, with six million animals slaughtered, or one in eight of all farm animals.

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Neil recounted his memories: “That was terrible, it decimated the job. Every time you put the telly on they were burning animals, every time you put the news on that was the main headline, more animals being culled.

“It totally put everybody off eating meat, and then one of the supermarkets had a load of stock and they reduced it one day.

“All of a sudden everyone started eating it again. That got people on it again, but they were very, very tough times.

“At the same time, we had riots in Oldham. That made everything a little bit tetchy and a bit difficult.

“They weren’t far from where my shop was. The whole town got affected, I didn’t even know what had gone on and I got a call on Sunday morning that they’d just seen my shop on Sky News. It was strange.

“The people, my neighbours around Abbey Hills Road were all lovely people, really nice people. I got cards and a couple of presents when I left there.”

The business was also affected by Covid – though Neil says he has managed to retain half of the extra trade he received during Covid.

Neil said: “Covid was very, very difficult. Very emotional – we saw every side of it. We saw people who had lost their jobs, lost their family, customers that died. We saw every little bit of that.

“However long we were in a lockdown, we were the only people that a lot of people saw. That was very emotional.

“A lot of people enjoyed coming, which is why they’ve kept coming.”

Neil thanked his customers, staff, family, and his wife Michele for helping him succeed.

He said: “There’s a lot of ups, a lot of downs, and really hard times, but luckily enough I’ve got a fantastic wife and family.

“When you get home all your issues stop then, I couldn’t have done it without them – especially my wife Michele.

“I couldn’t be anywhere without my wife, but also the staff as well – I’ve got great cleaning lads.”

Neil Mellor Butchers is located on New Street in Uppermill. The shop is open Monday to Saturday from 7.30am to 5.30pm.