New ‘High End’ restaurant to open and replace Bolton’s 120 year old butcher’s shop
Fairclough’s butcher’s shop in Egerton which closed after more than a century has been given a new lease of a life as a fine dining restaurant.
Retired butcher’s manager, Paul Fairclough, 64 said: “I wish them all the luck, I’ve been and looked around and it’s beautiful inside.”
Mr Fairclough worked at the ‘Fairclough’s Butchers’ shop for 52 years as manager and owner. He worked with his father, Jack Fairclough, who retired in 1984 and passed down the shop to him.
The butchers shop was passed down through three Fairclough generations. Paul’s great granddad first opened ‘Fairclough’s Butchers’ in 1889.
Mr Fairclough gave his licence up for the butchers shop when he sold it in 2019.
Mr Fairclough said “I was glad to get out because we were struggling, we weren’t making any money.”
Times have changed in Egerton since the former employee, David Litterick worked at Fairclough’s.
David Litterick, 81, said “Egerton now is probably ten times bigger than it was when I worked there, so the shop was busy for the amount of people who lived there at the time.
“There were definitely a higher demand for meat; I mean nobody had ever heard of the word vegetarian.”
Mr Litterick said: “The butchers shop used to be very successful when Paul was little.
“Paul’s granddad used to have it before his dad and I actually remember his granddad being there, unfortunately with my age.”
Fairclough’s employees were experienced butchers, for example Mr Litterick had been working as a butcher as soon as he left school in 1954.
Mr Litterick said: “My experience there was very good really; we all knew what we were doing because we were all experienced butchers and just got on with it.”
The butchers shop has gone through a lot of construction over the past year. Mr Fairclough said “It’s unbelievable; the only thing that’s left of it is the wood-burning stove and the gable end of the shop.”
Restaurant Ruspante which opens on the 21st May offers free range food from local farms as well as a Bolton supplied wine list.
Restaurant Ruspante is only having a limited amount of covers following COVID safety rules. The amount of people allowed in the restaurant will be around 20 to 25.
Egerton has its fair share of Italian restaurants including ‘CIBO’ and ‘CAIO BABY’ already. Restaurant Ruspante however seem to be pretty confident about their future success.
The restaurant will run from 9am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and will close at 10pm on Sunday.
Author: Katherine Stephenson
