The Story so Far
The business opened on the 2nd of November 1963 at 60 High Street, Much Wenlock by my father, Anthony ‘Paddy’ Ryan and his wife Iris. Previous to this my father had owned butchers’ shops in Penkridge (Staffordshire) and Bridgnorth. I joined in the business upon leaving school in 1968 and worked alongside my two elder sisters and my father learning the trade in the time-honoured style of starting at the bottom and working my way up.
Upon his death in 1982 I took over the running of the business and in 1983 I married my wife Sue, who was a Home Economics teacher at William Brookes Secondary School. Following the retirement of our local pie supplier and Sue’s desire for a change of direction, we branched into pie making in 1984, re-establishing a part of the business my late mother had begun when the business first started in Penkridge in Staffordshire in 1947. Being a Cornish girl, Sue’s first product was Cornish pasties, they proved successful and the range widened, slowly at first but gaining pace upon the completion of a purpose-built bake house attached to the shop, in 1988.
Our two sons, Mike and Sam were born in 1984 and 1986 and have grown up in the atmosphere of the shop and the Bake house. Their desire is to continue the family tradition, and both decided to enter the trade upon leaving school. Today, Mike is my right-hand man on the butchery side; his speciality is bacon curing, producing four different types on-site, including own recipe of Wenlock Sweet Cure, Shropshire Classic, Mike’s Middle Cut and his own modern take on a fat, traditional, streaky bacon. Sam is Sue’s lieutenant in the bake house and as well as being involved in all areas of pie production and baking, he also has responsibility for all pastry production. Mike’s wife Amber joined the business in 2014 shortly before they got married, she started down in the Bake house with Sue and Sam but more recently since having their first Child Jacob Ryan, she has taken on responsibility for the office and all the paperwork. There are now three more young Ryan’s Eliza, Edith and Emily. Both Jacob and Eliza like nothing better than cutting out shapes from remnants of spare pastry and making “biscuits” or helping. In addition to the five of us, there is also my nephew, Grant, and 5 other members of staff, Selma Silva, Lee Willis, Fiona Braithwaite, Magda Worthington, and Alice Mathews.
The shop is best described as a traditional butcher’s shop; we lay out a new display every morning and we put on show a full range of beef, lamb, pork, chicken, offal, bacon and sausages. Home cooked meats, pies, quiches, Sweet Puddings and baked goods will be displayed and sold in our new shop The Pig & Pie. The only exceptions are Wednesday and Sundays when the shop is closed. We start at 2.45am every morning with the shop preparation and baking, ready to open the doors with a full display at 6:30am.
The shop is open until 3pm whilst still allowing us to go out on home deliveries to the local area, a service we started during the first lockdown in March 2020 alongside a dedicated Click and Collect service from the rear of the shop premises, this is still a very popular option.
Making sure our customers’ needs are satisfied is very important to us, so everyone is served individually, cooked meats are cut to order, joints trimmed or boned and rolled as requested and customers can buy as little or as much as they require.
In October 2020 Mike and Amber purchased the old Copper Kettle Tearooms right next door to the shop. The Pig & Pie opened in July 2021 and is a dedicated pie shop, selling Meat Pies, savoury pastries, quiches, cooked meats and a selection of puddings and cakes.
About Much Wenlock
Much Wenlock is set in the beautiful countryside of the Shropshire Hills. It has a selection of traditional shops, independent shops and places to eat and drink, many of which are situated in medieval, Georgian and Victorian Buildings.
Interested in finding out more about the town? Much Wenlock is teeming with history! Take a look at The Guildhall which dates from 1540, or the ruins of the 13th Century Wenlock Priory which are a short walk from the town Centre.
Find out about Much Wenlock’s part in the birth of the modern Olympic Games. Much Wenlock was the birthplace of Dr William Penny Brookes, who was the inspiration for the modern Olympic Games and founder of the Wenlock Olympian Society. Much Wenlock Museum is also a great place to visit as it has a wealth of information about the town and surrounding Countryside.
For those who love walking there are lots of beautiful walks both in the town and in the surrounding Shropshire countryside, including Wenlock Edge where the views are stunning.
Much Wenlock is within easy reach from both Telford, Iron Bridge and Shrewsbury and has plenty of parking, which doesn’t cost a fortune and is free on Sundays!
There is plenty to do and lots to explore – something for everyone.
We hope to see you soon.
