Family-run PI Phoenix butchers near Peterborough to shut after 45 years of trading

A family-owned butcher’s shop in a village near Peterborough is to close next month – 45 years after the retailer was founded.

PI Phoenix butchers in Guntons Road, Newborough, will shut its doors for good at the close of business on July 1.

The move comes as the landlord looks to sell the building from which the butcher has traded for the last 13 years.

Butcher Mat Snell said: “It will be a sad day when we close.

He said: “The business was created by grandfather, Peter Phoenix in 1978 and has operated from various locations in Crowland, Langtoft and Newborough over the years."

The closure was first announced in a notice posted on the shop’s Facebook page, which stated: “We are very sad to confirm that due to the sale of the building by our Landlord we will be closing on Saturday 1st July.

“We would like to thank our customers for all of the support given to us over the last 13 years and that given to our family in the preceding years.

“We must say next week is looking extremely busy already for which we are extremely grateful, so much so even though we will have plenty of stock we would advise pre-ordering to guarantee getting your order.

“Once again thank you for your support. Mat, Lisa, Luke & Nathan.”

Mr Snell said: “We don’t have any animosity towards the landlord who is in his 80s and doesn’t want any tenants as the building is being sold.

"We’ve known this is coming for some time and only myself and my mother, Lisa, work here at the moment so there aren’t any staff.”

But the family does not intend to keep the business going from alternative premises.

"We’re not looking to open another butcher’s.

“The cost of setting up somewhere else would be too great, especially in the current climate of rising interest rates and inflation.

“We’ve got other jobs to go to and they are not in retail. We’ll be grateful to get the weekends back."

Councillor Judy Fox, one of the village’s representatives on Peterborough City Council, said: “It will be a sad loss. It was a very good butcher’s and was well used by everyone.”