Our Team

Rob Rattray established the business in 1991 and is a first generation butcher.    As a young boy his interest was in farming but with limited opportunity and to “fill-in-time”,  took a holiday job at a  local butchers shop and soon got the taste of money and there it all started.   There he served his  apprenticeship before moving on to manage a local  butchery wholesalers where he learnt his business skills. Since opening its doors in 1991 the business has expanded and developed and Rob is now able to combine his interest and knowledge of farming with butchery to produce and select the highest quality stock for his business.

“I am proud to have established my own butchery business serving my community with a quality product, supported by a quality service.”

• C.I.E.H. Level 4 (Advanced) Award in Managing Food Safety
• Completed Meat Managers Hygiene & HACCP Retail Butchers Course

Paul was one of the “assets” Rob acquired when he bought the shop in July 1991.   Having worked for about 6 months for the previous owner, Paul has  remained loyal to the business ever since and has seen the business grow and develop since those early days.  He is highly trained and experienced in butchery skills  and over the years has got to know all the regular customers and their tastes.

• C.I.E.H. Level 3 Award in Managing Food Safety (Intermediate)
• Completed Meat Managers Hygiene & HACCP Retail Butchers course

“After 30 years working with Rob, I think I understand his ways by now! We work well together as a team and I enjoy meeting the customers.”

Dennis joined us in 1997 after training as a butcher and gaining experience at a local store.    He is a valued, reliable  and loyal member of the team, is a skillfull butcher and after 20 odd years of working for Rob, he knows the business inside- out Dennis says

“We have great confidence in our product and it is satisfying to know that we can offer our customers the very best in quality.”

• C.I.E.H. Level 3 (Intermediate) Award in Managing Food Safety

Gwilym joined us in the summer of 2015 and is a local Welsh speaker who learnt his skills in the butchery trade when he worked as a young lad with Owen J Davies in his Northgate Street butchers shop.   On OJ’s retirement, he left the trade and was for many years employed as a groundsman at Aberystwyth Golf Club.    Gwilym  works at both the shop and the butchery unit and enjoys the challenge of making a variety of various flavoured sausages!  Since March 2020 and the demand for a home delivery service escalated, Gwilym has become our regular delivery driver and has been a welcome cheerful face for many housebound customers.

C.I.E.H Level 2 Award in Food Safety for Manufacturing

“What I like about my job is the variety of work involved.   I enjoy meeting customers and love the banter in the shop…. especially when Arsenal are winning!!   No two days are the same and you never know what’s going to happen next.”

2016 saw another Dennis join the team.   Having spent his lifetime holidaying at Borth, Dennis made the move to the coast on a permanent basis.   He is an experience butcher, having worked for many years in the butchery trade in his home town of Hereford.   He brought with his new ideas and skills and is a valued member of the team.

“I’m enjoying being back in a butcher’s shop again.  I like meeting customers and get satisfaction from my job.   I feel part of a great team here at Rob Rattray’s.  They’re a good bunch of lads “

Dafydd who joined the team in November 2018, as a trainee butcher is a local Welsh speaker who is anxious to learn the trade. He will serve his apprenticeship with Rob, and will gain experience at both the Butchery Unit and the retail shop. We hope he soon settles in and will enjoy working with our team of staff.

Rio is the latest recruit to join the team as a Trainee Butcher.   He is quickly learning the trade and his passion and enthusiasm to learn and succeed sees him improve his skills on a daily basis.  “I’m enjoying it” he says “I’m learning something new every day and I have plenty of variety, learning to bone-out carcasses, making sausages, serving in the shop and some days I work on the farm with Rob or Steff.  It’s all good”

Rob and Sheila’s son Steffan has grown up within the family business and has learnt the trade under the guidance and watchful eye of his father and the rest of the team.   He is currently studying at Harper Adams University, undertaking a degree course in Agri-Food with Business and Marketing where he will gain further knowledge and understanding enabling him to follow a career within the industry.  During holiday time, he returns to assist within the butchery business and on the family farm.

Elin is the youngest member of the Rattray family, but despite being the younger of the team she makes sure her presence is felt within the business!!   Although she is still in education, she is actively involved during holiday times and weekend and is on hand to assist wherever needed.  She enjoys serving at the shop, meeting customers and more than anything the chat and banter with staff and customers.    

Rob’s wife Sheila, is responsible for the administration of the business and although the office is her domain, she is adaptable and is often at the retail shop, in the butchery unit or on the farm, assisting wherever the need arises.

• C.I.E.H. Level 3 Award in Managing Food Safety (Intermediate)
• Completed Meat Managers Hygiene & HACCP Retail Butchers course

“I like to think that we all work together as a team and every member of staff has an important role to play in the smooth running of the business. Rob & I value the committment of each member of our staff.”

“I value the loyalty and commitment of all my staff and know I can rely on the whole team to work together in an effort to offer our customers the very best in service and quality” says Rob