WHEN Stewart Noble closed his High Street shop at the start of September, Galashiels was left without a butchers shop.

But that changed this week when Taylor's Family Butcher took over the store, which is situated opposite the Tapestry Building.

Former ‘Jethart’ Callant John Taylor built up a popular business in Selkirk after taking over Halliwell’s shop four years ago.

And during COVID restrictions he provided pies and scotch eggs to outdoor markets and food festivals.

But a combination of job losses in the town and the cost-of-living crisis saw a reduction in demand.

Border Telegraph: John Taylor outside Taylor Family Butcher shop in High Street Galashiels Photo John Hislop

And a recent hike in energy prices from £1,000 per month to £2,500 meant that the keeping the business operating as before was not feasible.

His initial intention was to close the Selkirk shop and solely concentrate on supplying markets and food festivals.

But when he learned that Noble's was available, he said that it was a "no brainer".

The 50-year-old said: "I was just looking for some premises so I could concentrate on my Scotch eggs and pie-making for festivals and markets, and then this opportunity came along at just the right time. It was an absolute no-brainer and not something I could turn down.

“For the biggest town in the Borders not to have a butcher was unbelievable.

“We will have locally produced meat from a farm near Jedburgh which is excellent quality and what makes us different from the supermarkets is that you can come in and buy one sausage or one slice of bacon or black pudding. You don’t have to buy a whole packet.

“Once we announced on social media that we were taking over this shop I’ve been overwhelmed by the public’s response. We’ve had loads of posts sending us good wishes and people popping into the shop saying they can’t wait for us to open.

“Our prices will be the same as they were in Selkirk and we will be open from 7.30am – 5pm Monday to Friday and 7.30m – 2pm on Saturdays.

“We are also launching loyalty cards and details are available on our facebook page under ‘Gala’s New Butchers’.

“I’d like to thank all of our lovely and loyal customers at Taylor's Family Butcher Selkirk and if they would still like our products, we will be offering a free delivery service in the Borders and that covers Selkirk.”