Butcher John Redmond today admitted what he loves most about his profession is the shouting.
The highlight of his day is, while serving someone with Cumberland sausages, to turn his head to one side and bellow an announcement about gammon shanks.
He said: “I love the shouting, it’s what get’s me out of bed. There’s a real skill to it; it helps to add a suggestion of a cockney accent. It’s what people expect from a loud-mouth food seller”
John used to sell meat from a large van in provincial Northern towns but now works in an indoor butchers in a shopping centre. He is adamant the technique is still as relevant as it ever was: “some people may claim that people shopping in HMV and Next aren’t going to be tempted to buy a full chicken on impulse. They’re wrong, I can bark them into believing it’s exactly what they left the house for”
“I also get a jaunty hat”.