Butchery chain set for Blackburn launch

FRESH meat and food to go retailer Crawshaws is to open its doors for the first time in Blackburn
 
Crawshaws has already filled over 250 full time positions in the North West region and the Blackburn opening on Wednesday March 16 has created an additional 18 new jobs.
 
This new opening marks the 16th opening in the North West and the 41st store for the fast growing butchery chain.
 
The £250,000 investment into Blackburn is part of the Rotherham-based retailer’s planned growth strategy. By 2022, Crawshaws Group will have invested £200m opening 200 stores and creating 2,500 jobs.

The driving force behind the growth plan is chief executive Noel Collett. He joined the business only a year ago, after spending over 12 years at Lidl as the UK’s chief operating officer where he was widely credited as an instrumental figure in the transformation of the company, growing the discount chain from 200 to 600 stores.
 
Ben Matthews is the newly appointed Blackburn store manager. He said: “Blackburn is a key opening for us and will help cement our expanding position in Lancashire, we’ve invested over £1m in the region already.

“Our store is in an area of regeneration, right around the corner from the new bus station which is due to open at Easter, we’re opposite Morrisons and near the King William Street Mall, so we’re in a great footfall location.

“We pride ourselves on our fantastic quality meat at amazing everyday low prices, we’re 35% cheaper than supermarkets, so we’re confident we have a unique proposition to entice shoppers and commuters in store on a regular basis.”