A shopkeeper in Dunkeld is urging the public to buy local after a closure scare.
Munur Kara has owned Dunkeld Butchers in Bridge Street since 2017.
He paused trading at the shop on April 9, citing financial hurdles faced by small businesses as the main reason.
Munur, 47, will reopen the butcher on Tuesday but says he can only survive with help from the public.
Rising costs impacting small businesses, says owner of Dunkeld Butchers
With 30 years’ experience as a chef at five-star hotels and restaurants such as Fonab Castle and Trump Turnberry Luxury Resort, Munur brings traditional craftsmanship to his work.
He buys meat from local farms and hand cuts each piece before hanging it for flavour – a technique he says is dying.
Dunkeld Butchers is the only one in the town.
Munur told The Courier: “The rising costs of everything for small businesses is impacting big time.
“It’s hitting people’s pockets so they’re not going and using local businesses.
“People can control what food they buy from shops, they can cut back on that.
“They can’t cut back on their electricity, council tax and other bills they have to pay.
“We’re in a difficult time and our priority is to get the footfall back in the shop.
“We want to get our finances back so we can get what we need to run our business.
“The cost of fresh produce like beef, lamb, and chicken has also gone up a lot recently.
“It’s understandable because farmers work really hard, and they deserve fair prices but these rising costs have also affected our business, as we rely on good-quality ingredients from farmers.”
Businessman urges people to shop locally
Dunkeld Butchers supplies meat to local business in the town such as The Craft Diner.
Munur added that convenience has enticed the public to shop at supermarkets rather than from local vendors.
He said: “I’m not asking people to come and do a massive weekly shop.
“If the people of Dunkeld came in once a week and bought one item, maybe splash out and buy two steaks, that business will then thrive.
“If you go to a local butcher and ask where the beef is from or how to prepare it, they will give you the full details.
“You don’t get that in the supermarkets.
“A butcher doesn’t run his steak through a metal detector like supermarkets do, because it’s hand-cut, not machine-processed.
“People need to continue to shop locally because all the butchers, and all the green grocers buy locally, let’s keep it in Scotland.”
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