A KNIGHTON butcher continues to slice his way through the negativity of lockdown as his new business venture gathers pace.

Peter Smith has been a butcher for 20 years and works at the family-owned AJ Pugh Butchers shop in the Radnorshire border town, but he decided he needed to chop things around a little bit when Wales became gripped by the pandemic almost a year ago.

He created his own Facebook group – Craft Butchers International, a kind of butchers’ inner circle, as a way for fellow businesses and professionals to stay motivated during the ongoing pandemic. Via the group he posted various monthly giveaways and showcased some of his own unique skills via videos – you may remember him as the blindfolded butcher, who appeared in online clips making sausages without being able to see.

In July last year he also created what he described as the UK’s biggest sausage roll – weighing in at a mighty 1kg, measuring 19 inches and available at the shop for £15.

Things have moved on since then. He teamed up with London-based Stalwart Crafts, makers of handmade leather aprons; they provided Peter with his own custom-made apron, while he has since gone into partnership with seasoning and glaze producers Pureety. He’s also teamed up with Trade Clothing UK who have produced Craft Butchers International-own hoodies, which have been sent to group members across the globe.

“Now I have gone into partnership with Pureety I am expecting big things to happen,” said Peter, 35.

“I have been invited up to Pureety after lockdown to do filming with them to produce new products using their stuff which I am looking forward to.”

Peter has seen the Facebook group grow from 100 members initially to now well over 3,000 – he had stated he wanted to hit 2,000 by Christmas.

The reach of the group is clearly worldwide with Peter’s stylish new hoodies supplied to members living across the UK and Ireland, as well as the USA, Canada and even Hong Kong.

“I now have Trade Clothing UK on board with me, who make hoodies for the group and over the last month we’ve had about 60 hoodies made for the group and they’ve been sent all over the world,” added Peter.

“The group has been running just getting on for about a year now and it has grown so much. Members at the moment stand at 3,200.

“I have heard good things from the leather apron company, Stalwart Crafts, and am in talks with them to make a prototype leather knife holder. And they also bought one of my hoodies.

“My next hoodie will have Pureety on it as we have now gone into partnership with them.”