The butchers who kept Queen Elizabeth supplied with sausages and steaks for banquets and barbecues at Balmoral have announced their retirement a year after their services were dropped by the King.
John Sinclair and Barry Florence, the owners of HM Sheridan butchers in Ballater, were granted a royal warrant by the Queen in 1987.
She and the Duke of Edinburgh were frequent visitors to the village shop when they were in residence at their Aberdeenshire estate.
John Sinclair, left, and Barry Florence
The firm received a final order just days before Elizabeth’s death in 2022, but King Charles informed them he would be taking his business elsewhere two years later.
Sinclair suspected it was due to their produce not being fully organic. Speaking in 2024 he said: “We’re disappointed that we no longer have the warrant. Obviously, we didn’t meet the criteria but we don’t know why. I’ll be asking questions about that.”
He added: “It’s a job getting organic meat in this part of the country. We are in the middle of nowhere up here.”
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Sinclair announced he and Florence would be retiring “after a long and rewarding stint at the helm”. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he told the Press and Journal. “There’s been a lot of stories over the years. I have really enjoyed my time doing this.
“I have learnt a lot and met a lot of nice people.”
Sinclair, who worked in the business for 42 years while his co-owner was there for two more, reassured customers it would continue.
He confirmed it would be taken over by Grant Anderson, a long-serving employee who joined as an apprentice 14 years ago. “We’re leaving the shop in good hands,” Sinclair said.
“Grant knows Sheridans inside and out and shares the same passion for quality, service and community. This change will allow John and me to look towards some new adventures, perhaps at a slightly slower pace.”
Sinclair guided Queen Elizabeth on a tour of the village when she visited to observe recovery efforts when it was flooded, with several homes, shops and properties being badly damaged, by Storm Frank in 2016.
“We have dealt with the royal family for a lot of years now and know them quite well,” he recalled.
“The Duke of Edinburgh came in a good few times. He was always very interested in the game side of things, like the venison and the grouse.”
The business made speciality sausages and burgers to mark significant milestones such as royal weddings, births and jubilees.