One of the oldest butchers in Bristol is still on the market despite its fantastic reputation in the local community.
Kelvin's Butchers, on East Street in Bedminster, is believed to date back to 1890 and is reputed to be one of the oldest butchers in the Bristol area. The current owner, Kelvin Temblett, has run the business since 1997 but is now looking to retire and sell up.
Since Kelvin took over the business, its reputation has been renowned and it has really flourished under his reign. He has consequently acquired an impressive number of regular customers and become a well-respected member of the local community.
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With East Street being a busy and vibrant area for shopping there is a great opportunity to take on the high turnover local business. It's on the market for a price of £34,995 as a leasehold business opportunity and generates an advised current turnover of circa £231,000 per annum with a healthy gross profit. There is a freehold option available at £285,000 as well.
Currently, a whole range of products are on sale within Kelvin's, such as: bacon, pork, beef, burgers, lamb, poultry, sausages, steaks, Christmas meat hampers, whole hams, faggots and pies.
Kelvin previously spoke to Bristol Live last year when he put his business on the market and said: “I still enjoy the work and I’d still like to do a couple of days a week if I can sell it as a butchery business and the new owners wanted me to work.
“And I really do hope somebody buys it as a butchers as I have so many loyal customers - I feel an obligation to keep it as a butchers for them. Some of the customers have been coming here since I opened and their children are now coming in their children. A few people have heard whispers that I have put it on the market and they keep saying ‘don’t go’ which is lovely.”
Sadly Kelvin suffered from a heart attack in March 2020 and had a stent fitted before having a double heart bypass operation. Since coming back to the shop he's been trying not to overwork himself, although his wife is trying to get him to retire.
He added: “It’s awkward when you work for yourself and it’s hard work being self-employed in the butchery business. I’m not getting any younger and it’s a hard physical job when you get to my age. Having said that, it’s not as hard as it used to be when we had to clean and dress all the chickens and turkeys.
“That was a lot of work, and a messy, unpleasant job. You’d be up to 2am sometimes in the run up to Christmas but thankfully they all come oven-ready now. We’re a traditional butchers shop and we still make our own faggots and sausages. We also try to keep the prices down for customers but we’ll only sell good quality meat.”
Kelvin has been a butcher ever since he left school at 15. Born in his grandparents’ house in Ashton Road - where he could see Bristol City’s ground from his nan’s bedroom window - he worked for Gateway supermarket before getting a job for Baxters butchers in Keynsham.
After that, he managed butchers shops on Gloucester Road and Cheltenham Road before buying the East Street shop in 1997. Kelvin’s is now only one of two traditional family butchers left on East Street, along with Stan Butt, but it was very different when he first opened.
Should someone purchase the butchers, they will be presented with a well-maintained business that compliments from other retail trade in the area. It is believed there is a strong opportunity to increase the turnover of the business through improvements.
These could include creating a website with an online ordering facility, extending the opening hours, introducing a delivery scheme, running advertising and marketing campaigns and many more ideas.
You can read more about the listing on the Rightmove website by clicking here.
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