Bill Fleming – from the family of butchers behind Arbroath’s famous steak and gravy pie – has died aged 92.
In his heyday Bill and his brothers employed more than 40 people in the town and Fleming’s pies were supplied to supermarkets across the country.
Bill Fleming’s family of butchers
Born on July 3 1929, William ‘Bill’ Fleming was one of seven children for Charles and Lillian Fleming.
The Arbroath couple had three boys and four girls, and in 1925 opened their first butcher shop.
Bill had always worked with his dad but on returning from national service he took on a more prominent role.
At a weekend dance he met Alice Stark from Dundee. They married and went on to have two children: Lorraine, who is now deceased, in 1953, and Gregory in 1955.
The original butcher’s shop was on Millgate Loan which then moved to Westport when the local authority purchased the land for flats.
The family then opened a second shop in Ponderlaw and in later years Bill and his brother looked after both stores.
Famous steak and gravy pie
And it was within the Ponderlaw store, run by Charles Fleming, that the now famous steak and gravy pie was born.
“I’m not sure where the idea came from but my uncle invented it and it just snowballed from there,” says Bill’s son Gregory.
As a result of the pie’s success Bill had a large bakery built at the back of the Westport shop.
They began supplying now defunct supermarket William Low and that contract was taken over by Tesco when it purchased Low’s.
At the peak Bill employed more than 40 full time staff.
Hard work
Retiring fully at 65, Bill completely stepped back from the business when the time came.
The family, who started life in Arbroath’s prefabricated homes, moved to Viewfield Road in Arbroath in the ’60s, and Bill remained there for the rest of his life.
Sadly, Alice passed away at the turn of the millennium but in his later years Bill found plenty to keep himself busy.
An avid antiques collector, he had an extensive collection of art work by local artists, as well as a vast porcelain collection.
He always loved his car. For many years Bill had enjoyed owning and driving a Jaguar.
Family man
Bill is also survived by his both of his grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Though not really one for socialising, he was well known in Arbroath.
He passed away following a relatively short illness.
Gregory said: “Growing up, my dad worked long hours. There wasn’t much time off in those days and so I have a treasured memory of a rare family holiday, in Oban.
“My dad was a master craftsman, someone who took enormous pride in his work and who believed in training young people.”
The Fleming family sold the butchery business six years ago, but memories of Bill and the steak and gravy pies live on.
You can read the family’s note of thanks here.
