A TEESDALE butcher’s shop has been awarded membership of the national Butchers Q Guild.

William Peat Butchers in Horsemarket, Barnard Castle, joins an exclusive group of 120 award-winning independent butchers across the UK.

Jim Higginson opened his first shop in Castle Bank, Tow Law, in 1978 and has since opened six outlets as part of the Castle Bank Butchers.

Teesdale’s oldest butchers; the Peat family, were selling local meat as long ago as the late 19th Century.

The Higginson family bought William Peat Butchers, as well as Marden Farm Shop in Barnard Castle, from Roger Peat in 1993, before moving the business to new premises closer to the town’s historic market place a few years later.

At the same time, they converted the farm shop to a delicatessen, selling pies, bread and cakes from their own bakery, along with both local and continental meats, and cheeses.

William Peat Butchers has won multiple awards over the years for its products, including its bacon and ham, traditionally cured and air-dried in-house, burgers and grill sticks, home-made pies, sausages, black pudding and haggis.

David Higginson, who helps run the Barnard Castle shop, said: “We wanted to join the Q Guild not only to help us stand out from the competition, but also to further improve ourselves by drawing on the wealth of knowledge, ideas and inspiration within this elite group of butchers nationwide.”