Award-winning Penyffordd butcher retires after 50 years in the trade

Steve Vaughan was just 13 when he became a butcher’s boy in Caergwrle, 50 years later the well known Penyffordd butcher and his wife Helen are calling it a day.

During his 50 years in the business Steve has met royalty, sports stars and TV personalties including Prince Charles, Linford Christie, BBC broadcaster Sian Lloyd, snooker star Willie Thorne and Corrie actor John Savident – better known as the street’s larger than life butcher Fred Elliott.

Its customers which are the “the highlight of my career” said Steve, among them are Pam Graham Jones from Llay , who have been regulars at Vaughan’s Butchers for 14 years.

They popped in to wish Steve and Helen all the best for the future, “they’ve been great to us” said Mr Jones.

Steve’s award-winning career was crowned in 2013 when he was named Britain’s “Champion of Champions” sausage maker – the industry’s Oscars

He has passed on his skills to current apprentice Tilley Penney who’s already won the titles of Young Sausage Maker and Supreme Sausage Maker.

His former apprentice Matthew Edwards from Wrexham also won nearly every major prize available to young butchers in Britain including Welsh Young Butcher of the Year and the first WorldSkills UK Butchery Champion title.

Knowing he’s played a part in keeping the industry in safe hands he can retire a happy man to enjoy travelling with Helen , playing more golf.

The shop is set to carry on with Jamie Baker and Mark Roberts taking over the reins, it will also have a new name – Baker and Roberts Craft Butchers