Martin Thomas Butchers combines traditional craft with modern working methods

Martin Thomas Butchers combines traditional craft with modern working methods

For more than two centuries, Martin Thomas Butchers has built its reputation on traditional butchery, carefully developed recipes and a commitment to producing high quality products in small batches.

Based in Pattingham, Wolverhampton, the family business is run by Martin Thomas, his wife Maureen and their son Craig, who represents the sixth generation of the family to continue the business. They moved to their current premises in the 1970s and remain at the heart of its production today.

While tradition remains central to the business, Martin Thomas Butchers has never been afraid to adapt when new equipment or working methods can support the skills and knowledge of its butchers.

“We’ve made a conscious choice to maintain as much control over our products as possible because tradition matters to us, from our recipes to meat selection and processing. But that doesn’t mean we have to keep every single step stuck in the past. If a new technology supports our craft, we’re always keen to take a look,” says Craig Thomas.

Bringing production in house

The business has continued to develop over the generations, with an important step coming in the 1990s when a key supplier of black pudding and sausage rolls went out of business.

Rather than look for another supplier, the family decided to bring more production in house. That decision has helped shape the business it is today.

Martin Thomas Butchers now produces a wide range of traditional pork products, including dry salted air dried back bacon, sweet cured streaky bacon and smoked bacons. The business also produces pork pies in small batches using carefully selected cuts of pork, alongside a range of traditional sausages.

One of its best known products is its traditional black pudding, which is produced in three varieties using pork blood, pork fat, oats and spices. The family uses its own blend of spices and continues to make the product in small batches.

The quality of its products has been recognised through numerous awards, including gold medals at the IFFA trade fair in Frankfurt. More recently, the business was named Best Charcuterie Product at the 2026 Meat Management Meat Industry Awards.

Combining experience with new technology

For a business producing a wide range of products from raw materials that naturally vary in size, shape and fat content, consistency is important.

The family has therefore continued to look at ways of making individual stages of production more efficient without compromising the traditional approach to its products.

In late 2025, the business introduced a Whizard Versa Trimmer from Bettcher for trimming and defatting. Previously, some of this work was carried out using a conventional knife.

“We used to do this work with a conventional knife. The meat sat on a block, and we had to constantly turn and reposition the piece while following the cut with the knife,” explains Craig.

The new equipment has helped reduce the physical effort involved while giving the butchers greater control over the cut. Different blade heads can be used for different jobs, including general trimming and removing the rind from bacon.

According to Craig, the equipment has also reduced the time needed for some tasks. Defatting now takes roughly a third of the time it previously required, while trimming a whole carcass has been reduced from around three and a half hours to under two.

For a small family business, those time savings can make a significant difference.

“For me, the biggest advantage isn’t just speed. When I need to target several small areas of fat, I can glide the tool over the surface and keep up a controlled motion,” says Craig. “Especially in narrower or harder to reach areas, the tool remains easy to control, allowing for a far more consistent cut.”

Keeping the craft at the centre

Despite the introduction of new equipment, the principles behind the business remain unchanged.

Martin Thomas Butchers continues to work in relatively small batches, using its own recipes and relying on the experience and knowledge built up through six generations of the family.

The aim is not to replace traditional skills with technology, but to use the right equipment where it can make everyday work easier and more efficient.

“When a tool allows us to finish a job in under two hours that used to take three and a half, it creates much more flexibility across the entire business,” says Craig.

That balance between tradition and practical innovation is helping Martin Thomas Butchers continue to develop while staying true to the approach that has shaped the business for generations.

For a family business with such a long history, it is a reminder that preserving traditional craft does not mean standing still.