AN established family butchers’ is set to create dozens of jobs with the launch of a rural business after transforming a historic premises.

Kitson and Sons Butchers will unveil Five Houses Farm Shop and Kitchen, which will also include a butchery on Friday.

The new multi-purpose, multi-million-pound development next to the A19 near Yarm has transformed a grade II listed quadrant farm building at Five Houses Farm on the Crathorne Estate.

It will generate up to 30 new jobs for local residents and is expected to achieve annual sales of about £2m for the business, said owner Anthony Kitson.

It is the biggest investment ever made by Kitson and Sons who, with roots stretching back to 1693, are one of the north’s longest established butchers.

Five Houses Farm Shop and Kitchen will supplement Kitson and Sons’ three existing shops in High Street, Northallerton, Stephenson Way, Stockton-on-Tees, and North End, Hutton Rudby.

Mr Kitson said: “We will be selling a far greater and wider range of food and drink products at the new farm shop.

“Our aim has been to create a one-stop-shop offering the very best seasonal produce and like our other shops to locally source wherever possible in support of local farmers and other local producers.

“We are particularly keen to display and sell products from artisan producers right across the region.

“Everything will be made from scratch in Five Houses Kitchen, using everyday produce that can be bought from the farm shop.”

At the most recent Camp Hill sausage and beer festival in Kirklington, near Bedale, Kitson and Sons Butchers were crowned champion sausage maker with a new creation.

They won with a Yorkshire delight sausage - a signature product created to mark the launch of the new build, which will go on sale for the first time when the doors open.

Mr Kitson announced that an opening ceremony will be held towards the end of September or early October.

A competition will be held and one lucky customer will be awarded with a special prize.

He said: “We want to get everything just right before we stage an official launch, our customers are our lifeblood – some of them have been shopping with us for generations.”

Mr Kitson added: “We will be running an easy-to-enter competition in all four of our shops, when the lucky winner will be invited along to declare Five Houses Farm Shop and Kitchen well and truly open.”