Clarke’s Butchers owner, Brian Clarke learnt his trade in the family butcher’s business established in Liverpool, by his father and uncle, in the 1950s.
Along with his brothers, he worked after school and at weekends with his uncle in the family business. After leaving school, he soon progressed to managing one of the family shops. In 1976 he opened his own shop in Seabank Rd, New Brighton, moving eventually in 1987, to Allerton Road in South Liverpool where Clarke’s has become known as of one of Liverpool’s finest butcher’s shops.
The conception of this charming butchers on Allerton Road happened in 1987 and ever since, business has been booming. It was one of three in the area and despite the convenience of supermarkets, has weathered many storms and is now doing better than ever. Other Brian Clarke-owned butchers were based in Bootle and Old Swan but were both sold in the mid 2000s. Nowadays, the shop is managed by Brian Clarke’s eldest daughter: Victoria Clarke, who is keen to take the business to new heights with her father’s backing and her enthusiastic workforce.
Speaking of the workforce, that’s one of our favourite reasons to visit the shop. Super helpful and super funny – the men and women behind the counter have made Clarke’s butchers what it is. They know your name, your life and your usual. A self-professed “traditional butchers for the 21st century”, the customer service reflects that. Clarke’s are well known for selling a range of traditional quality meats, home cooked meats, ready meals as well as homemade sausages burgers and handmade kebabs. If you do anything, grab yourself some ribs to heat up and eat at home (or snack slowly on the walk home).
As well as all that, Clarke’s Butchers made the ingenuous decision, some years back now, to take lunch time meals to a whole new level with their baguettes. Chilli and garlic meatballs, peri-peri chicken, pork belly, lamb, beef, chicken – whatever you can imagine all ready to be stuffed into a baguette with gravy, stuffing, mayo and more. These aren’t just any baguettes – people queue, no matter the weather, down the road for these daily. And don’t even get us started on homemade hot sausage rolls they do. An absolute diet destroyer encased in buttery, flaky, pastry perfection.
There’s something very Olde Worlde about Clarke’s. The candy striped facade, the fact it’s beside a fishmongers, a bakery and a green grocers. But don’t mistake this revelry for novelty – it’s nothing but the best. With butchers and similar trades in serious decline overall, it’s refreshing to see a success story. But don’t let this butchers or its neighbours fall into the whirlpool of nostalgia and become a distant memory, let’s support them as much as we can so somebody else in the future, far more eloquent then ourselves, can be writing a 60 year anniversary blog about them.