Harrowells advises on Poppleton butchers acquisition

A well-known community butcher’s shop near York has been acquired and re-named in a deal advised by Harrowells.

Viking Butchers, now Poppleton Village Butchers, has been acquired by Danny Hopcutt (pictured right), owner of a nearby wholesale butchery business, whose family has a long-standing involvement with York and North Yorkshire’s butchery trade over three generations.

The transaction, advised Harrowells corporate team partner, Matthew Rowley (pictured left), enabled Danny to buy the butcher’s shop, its equipment and fittings for a five figure sum from previous owner, Brian Rasmussen, and take over the lease from the previous holder who ran the shop as Barker’s Butchers several years ago.

Danny’s grandfather, Terry Hopcutt, managed many of the well-known chain of Dewhurst butchers shops throughout the North before opening a butcher’s shop of his own, with his wife, Christine, in Burton Stone Lane, York, while his father, Dean Hopcutt, has a meat wholesale business supplying butchers throughout the UK.

Danny Hopcutt, who has two staff at his new venture, says: “Brian Rasmussen called and asked if I would be interested in buying Viking Butcher’s. As my other business is less than a mile away, I initially disregarded the idea but then thought a walk-in shop would complement the other venture so we agreed a price.

“We will offer locally-sourced meats, poultry, eggs, pies, cooked meats, oven-ready meals and condiments. As a York man, I intend to continue as a consistent, reliable and friendly community butcher, offering the fairest prices possible. We will endeavour to give the Poppleton community and surrounding area a good dependable butcher that they can be proud of. During the last couple of years people have come back to appreciating and supporting their local independent stores and we hope to encourage this, especially in the run up to Christmas."

“Matthew Rowley was brilliant and told me what I would, and would not, require from him which was very helpful as you can be sold services that you don’t necessarily need. I found him extremely good.”

Danny, who qualified in international business studies at Manchester Metropolitan University, started his other business, York Wholesale Meats, five years ago as retail outlet from a nearby industrial unit but closed the shop during the initial Covid-19 outbreak to offer a delivery service which has continued.

The business, which has 15 staff, became more focused on the catering sector and now supplies restaurants, pubs and hotels throughout York and North Yorkshire.

Following the acquisition of Poppleton Butchers, he has installed a brand new dry-ageing cabinet which will display dry-aged, bone-in beef and allow customers to hand select their own cuts of meat.

Matthew Rowley says: “Although Harrowells is primarily a large regional firm, we can trace our roots in York back to the early 20th century and it is a pleasure to advise good-quality small enterprises, such as Poppleton Village Butchers, which perform a valuable service to the local community.”

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