Ginger Butchers have opened a butchers, deli, farm shop and cafe in the former Wilko building at 2-4 Bank Road, Matlock.

The Armstrong family, who farm at New Close Farm at Over Haddon near Bakewell, first came to Matlock in 2023 with a small butcher's shop on Bank Road. Demand outgrew it, and this summer they moved over the road into the much larger unit on Bank Road that the town still knows as the Wilko building. Poundland took the space after Wilko went, and it had been empty since Poundland left.

Everything is now under one roof:

• a full butchers counter, with beef, lamb and pork reared on the family farm and on farms nearby
• a deli counter with the family's own cooked meats, pies and sausage rolls, alongside cheeses, and hot and cold sandwiches to take away
• a farm shop stocking local producers, from Peak District honey, oils and flour to organic milk from a nearby dairy
• Ginger's Kitchen & Cafe, serving everything from coffee and cake to pie, chips and peas

The family rears Hereford and Dexter cattle, sheep and pigs at Over Haddon, with the rest sourced from farms it knows. All the butchery and baking is done in the family's own cutting room and bakehouse at the farm and delivered to the shops. Beef is hung on the bone for a minimum of four weeks.

Ed Armstrong, who runs the shops with his brother Tom, said:

"We'd always wanted a cafe, so people can try before they buy. You have your pie, chips and peas in the cafe, then you come and buy the pie, or the sausages, or the breakfast. It leads into each other. My dad always used to say nothing ventured, nothing gained, give the ball a good kick. So that's what we did."

Tom Armstrong, who runs the farm and the butchery, said:

"I like working with animals. I find it peaceful. Then we get the meat back, hang it on the bone, look after it, butcher it properly and put it in the counter. When somebody tells me a pork chop had the best flavour they've had, I'm thinking, I saw that pig born. I was there. I raised it. That's what I find rewarding."

The move has created 20 new jobs across the business, from the shop floor and cafe to the farm, cutting room and bakehouse that supply it.

The Peak District National Park Authority said:

"Farming has always been at the heart of the Peak District National Park's identity, and it is great to see local family business Ginger Butchers continuing to thrive and expand outside of the National Park boundary. We wish them every success with their new venture in the historic town of Matlock."

The Mayor of Matlock, Cllr Ashley Orwin, said:

"As Mayor of Matlock, I'm incredibly passionate about championing our independent businesses, which really are the heartbeat of our beautiful town! It's fantastic to see The Ginger Butchers investing in Matlock and bringing something really special with their new Farm Shop. As a fellow independent business owner, just down the road from them, and now a very happy neighbour, I couldn't be more delighted to welcome them and wish them every success!"

The Armstrongs are fourth-generation butchers and have farmed at New Close Farm since 1962. Ed and Tom run the business with their mother Gill. The family's Bakewell shop opened in 2010 and was extended in 2020 and again in 2022 to add a deli counter.

Visit us in Matlock

Ginger Butchers Matlock is at 2-4 Bank Road, Matlock DE4 3AQ, open Monday to Saturday 8am to 5.30pm and Sunday 10am to 4pm. We also deliver locally in our own vans and nationwide by courier. Order online or see our delivery information.

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For press

The photos on this page are free to use, credited "Picture: North Bear Media". High-resolution versions and the full press release are in our press pack. Ed and Tom Armstrong are available for interview and for filming at the shop or at the farm.

Press contact: Norton Hunt, North Bear Media, on behalf of Ginger Butchers. info@northbearmedia.co.uk, 07985 345 147.