A HEREFORDSHIRE shop owner has no plans to stop after celebrating 40 years in business.

Paul Lewis opened his butchers shop in High Street in Kington in June 1982, taking over from the Creswell family who had run a butchers from the same shop for nearly 50 years previous.

He started his career in the industry aged 14 as a butchery apprentice for Baxters and that gave him the appetite to run his own shop.

The butchers offers a full range from cooked to fresh meats to pies and cheeses.

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Mr Lewis said that the High Street has changed a great deal from when he started.

He said: "We used to have three butchers shops here on the High Street.

"I'm the only one left now. But I've managed to keep going and I'm still here 40 years later so must be doing something right.

Mr Lewis said that the rise of TV chefs has helped his shop maintain its customer base and its point of difference from the supermarkets.

He said: "You can always tell when people have been watching one of the cookery shows on Tv when loads of people who come in wanting a certain meat cut in a certain way, it definitely helps business."

Mr Lewis works six days a week and has not had a full week off work since 1979.

He said: "I've had the odd 3 or 4 days off here and there but never a full week.

"You've never seen anyone go on holiday to Euro Disney and back as quick as I did with my kids."

The Covid pandemic saw a shift in people's shopping habits and was beneficial to business at the butchers.

Mr Lewis said: "The last few years during Covid have definitely seen a shift in people's buying habits and there was a massive move towards buying local, fresh produce.

"It was as busy as I can remember during the first few months of the lockdowns and restrictions."

Mr Lewis uses lots of local suppliers including Springfield Poultry, near Leominster, for his chickens, and Weddel Swift in Bridgend for lamb and beef.

He said he was very fortunate to have had such fantastic local suppliers and regular customers including the FForest Inn in Llanfihangel Nant Melan, the Royal Oak, The Swan Inn and Kington Golf Club.

"I would like to thank all the people that have made it possible and helped me keep the business running for as long as it has," he said.

Mr Lewis' daughter Sarah said via the business Facebook page: "Big congratulations to my dad, who is celebrating 40 years on Kington High Street.

"It's a fantastic achievement and we are all so proud of him."