A BUTCHER has issued a wake-up call to locals to let them know that his trade could be wiped out.

Colin Osborne, owner of Osbornes of Malvern, in Link Business Centre, has warned that if closures in the town continue, people will be left without a butchers.

The 59-year-old, of Eston Avenue, Malvern, said: “You have two butchers left in Malvern.

“They are getting rarer and rarer, people need to realise before it’s too late that there won’t be any more left.

“Lots of people only use their butchers at Christmas. It seems the only time people cook is at Christmas.

“I’m trying to educate people to buy proper meat. They have got to realise the proper skills of a butcher.

“The supermarkets have to cut meat as fresh as possible to keep it red in the packets.”

Mr Osborne emphasised the importance of allowing meat to mature and said this was one of the traditional skills of butchers.

“Younger people are not thinking what they are buying. We get people saying they buy a pound and it’s so tough,” he added.

“The downfall of butchers is down to the rise of supermarkets and people not having enough time to cook.”

He said he has adapted to the changing market by making ready meals, which are free of additives, salt, gluten, preservatives and colouring.

“We introduced these as supermarket ready meals are mass-produced with lots of additives and junk,” he said.

“I’ve got minted lamb and rump steaks that you put in the microwave or oven.

“I cook it here and then it goes into a tray. The meat won’t go rotten as they are frozen straight away.”

Mr Osborne said Poolbrook Cafe recently ditched the butchery side of its business due to a lack of interest.

Paul Lopeman, aged 57, owner of Barnards Green Butchers, said: "People are going to supermarkets instead of butchers.

"Once they shut they don't reopen. We are very busy here - we seem to have bucked the trend and are open seven days a week.

"I think Barnards Green is such a tight community we are weathering the storm. It's a strong trading area.

"We can't compete with the supermarkets and just do our own thing."

Alison Pearson, owner of Poolbrook Cafe, in Malvern, said: “I took it over as a butchers and was planning to still have a micro-butchers.”

But she said there was a fortnight when the shop was closed before she took over.

“People started going elsewhere. The guy who had the place before me only had it about a year. It was not financially viable,” she added.