Browns Butchers has been a Raymond Terrace institution to generations of shoppers but greener pastures call to Tim Brown.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Nonetheless it’s been a difficult step for the third generation butcher.
“It’s emotional for me...” his words trailed off, as he composed himself.
Tim was just 15 when he did his trade under his dad, Warren, who brought the butchery to the Terrace from Newcastle 40 years ago. By that stage the business had already been around 50 years.
While Warren’s long been retired the business has continued to win awards for its sausages, bacon and ham under Tim who has had to break the news to regulars.
“The opportunity to operate out of Clarence Town came up and we couldn’t not take it on,” Tim said.
“Some of our regulars are disappointed but others are saying ‘we’ll see you in Clarence Town’.”
In other local news:
Being business, he said it came down to the dollars and cents. After 17 years at MarketPlace, Tim said it was time to move on.
“Our Thornton shop at the shopping centre has been doing really well and I didn’t want to have three shops,” he said.
“Thornton is going nuts and the rent is only half as much as here, so it makes sense to keep it.
“With Raymond Terrace, it’s different, there isn’t the growth here.
“And there’s more and more competition with Aldi, Woolies at Medowie, and even Woolies at Gloucester, so there isn’t the people coming to us like there used to be.”
Tim lives at Clarence Town. As does Warren, who is the principal supplier of beef to the shops, with the cattle reared on the Williams River.
The news was made public with a post their Facebook page on Wednesday. As of Friday afternoon the post had been shared 60 times, with nearly 400 ‘likes’ and other reactions.
“We’re saying to our Raymond Terrace regulars, ‘we can’t wait to see you in Clarence Town’,” Tim said.
The MarketPlace shop will be closed from Friday evening.
