Serving Sporty Spice and Ricky Hatton - Stretford Mall butcher’s 20 years in the business (From Messenger Newspapers)

Serving Sporty Spice and Ricky Hatton - Stretford Mall butcher’s 20 years in the business

12:44pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News

A STRETFORD Mall butcher who has served boxing ‘royalty’ and top pop stars is celebrating 20 years in the business - despite starting out as a building surveyor.

Carl Adamson, who manages the Gabbotts Farm Butchers store in the shopping precinct, can count top boxer Ricky Hatton and singer Mel C, Sporty Spice, among his army of satisfied customers.

Carl, 39, who started out at Gabbotts Farm as a Saturday lad to supplement his weekly wage as he trained to become a building surveyor, says he really does have the dream job.

The married father of two said: “I just love dealing with the public. We have customers who travel in from other towns just to visit us and have a chat while they get their meat.

“I like to think we offer a quality service as well as quality products. We are friendly and deal with our customers personally. It’s all about customer service at the end of the day.”

Colin McCrory, Stretford Mall Manager, said: “I know how popular Gabbotts Farm Butchers is with our loyal customers and their friendly and personal customer service is definitely what keeps people going back.

“That and the wonderful produce which they sell which always looks and smells very tempting.

“Their staff are very knowledgeable and helpful which comes from having a good manager like Carl with lots of years and experience in the business and I wish him many congratulations on reaching his 20th anniversary with the business.”

Carl, who likes to keep in shape and does a bit of sparring himself down at Salford’s Bridgewater Boxing Club, says he has served former light welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton on a number of occasions.

He said: “Ricky used to come into our Hyde shop on a quite regular basis and I have served him there many times. We also get quite a few Salford Rugby League players dropping in and I served Sporty Spice at our Leigh shop on a couple of occasions too.

“The thing with celebrities is they just want to be treated normally and to be able to come in and get what they want with the minimum of fuss. They don’t want to be hassled and we try and treat them like any other shopper.”

But Carl says he can’t believe he has been with Gabbotts Farm Butchers, which boasts 10 North West stores, for more than two decades.

He said: “It’s amazing really and I have made so many friends. I started out as a Saturday lad and liked it so much I thought I’d try and make a career out of it so I packed in the building trade.

“I eventually moved on to working on our chicken rotisserie then the main counter before becoming overall manager. I eventually went on the road as an area manager but missed the day to day inter-action of our customers.

“So I came back to the Stretford Mall branch as manager and I’ve never been happier. I get to meet our regular shoppers every day and the staff are superb too.

“We have six full-time employees here at Stretford Mall as well as a few part-time employees who are still in college. The staff are very loyal and there is something of a family feel to the place. I like the atmosphere and it’s a pleasure to come into work to be honest.

“I do think customers enjoy that personal service that, perhaps, you don’t quite get in any of the big supermarkets.”