20 Liverpool Road, Birkdale, Merseyside, PR8

Leasehold business For Sale. Asking price £65,000 (£45,000 business, £20,000 fixtures and fittings).

List / inventory of fixtures and fittings available on request.

The unit comprises of a self-contained ground floor retail area, with prominent shopfront glazing. Copies of the various accounts are available on request, as is a copy of the existing lease. The rent passing is currently £12,000 per annum and we anticipate the landlords may be seeking a rental more in the region of £15,000 per annum, by way of a new lease.

Vendor's Business Precis

I have been trading as a butcher for over 50 years - but its not quite over!

I started working for my Dad (Peter) in our Formby shop when I left school closely followed by brothers John and Chris.

We sold the Formby shop in 1973, John and Chris left the butchery trade. I started another business in Ainsdale in 1974.

At that time there were four other butchers in our village, competition was fierce but friendly. The business thrived and over the ensuing years although other butchers dropped out - Broughs kept trading.

In 1996 an opportunity presented itself to buy a butcher's shop in Birkdale, the shop was really something special. It had previously been owned by Harry Leigh - a man of great enterprise. Harry had his own slaughterhouse and regularly drove his animals through Birkdale village from the station and then out to pasture on Birkdale fields.

Harry was a very successful businessman; he was progressive, his shop was always busy and at one time boasted employing 22 butchers - and a Cashier in the 'Office'.
When the shop was offered to me, I had no hesitation in its purchase.

At that time Dave Allen (who had worked with me as a youth) indicated his desire to own his own shop. Dave was keen to be in business for himself, he was and is a very good butcher. We formed a partnership that has endured for 26 years and in all that time, we have worked together - in harmony and trust.

2022 has not been a good year for many folks, but for Dave and me it brought challenges that we did not expect. We both suffered serious threats to our health, fortunately we both survived and are returned to work - but inevitably a legacy of slight impairment and the realisation that we are not perhaps as indestructible as we once thought has been brought to our attention.

Dave and I have discussed our situations and have decided that it is time we paid more thought to our health and less to our work.

And so, with great regret, have decided to offer the shop for sale.

This was not an easy decision to make as the premises in Birkdale village is without doubt one of the finest butchers shops I have ever worked in.

The shop has been a part of Birkdale Village life for over 100 years, the premises are ideal, the position is unique, and the customers are a joy to serve.

We thank you all for your loyal support and good grace over the years - it has been a privilege to serve you and enjoy the warm respect of our local community.

We hope and trust that whoever takes the shop over will retain it as it is - as a truly independent and traditional butchers' business with a rare offer, one that remains a fundamental part of the life and history of Birkdale Village.