Mother and daughter butcher duo share the secret to working together ahead of Mother’s Day

A mother and daughter duo at the cutting edge of Scotland’s red meat industry have shared an insight into how they work together to run their specialist butchery and grocery store in Aberdeenshire.

Charmaine Bain (71) and daughter Anne-Marie (42) run Aberdeenshire Larder in Ellon as a team, bringing top quality red meat to customers from both the local area and the restaurant industry in Aberdeenshire and beyond.

As a family-run business for over fifty years, the Bains have developed close relationships with local Scotch-assured farms to sell high quality Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb and also becoming one of only a handful of Scottish Wild Venison processors.

Working closely together in a high-pressure environment has worked well for Charmaine and Anne-Marie, having both taken the lead on different aspects of the business; Charmaine more involved in the day to day running of the factory and shop and Anne-Marie overseeing back-office business including marketing and product development. Brother John Andrew also plays a key role in factory management and the butchery business.

For Charmaine, working with Anne-Marie is a delight, commenting that “every day is a proud mum day” and particularly noting her daughter’s energy, a trait she inherited from her dad.

Although Anne-Marie worked for the family business when she was young – recounting being paid 50p an hour and thinking she was “minted”, it was only after her father passed away that she returned full time to support her mum.

She said: “My mum is a very calm person and her day-to-day presence in the business is re-assuring for us all. As a result, there’s not much I don’t enjoy about my job and I count myself incredibly lucky that this is the case. Working in a small family business can be incredibly challenging as it’s not like a regular ‘9 to 5’ job where you have a job description.  It’s fair to say that my work life is varied, and I think that’s what I enjoy most about it.”

A working mum herself, Anne-Marie admits that getting the balance right during lockdown has been difficult, saying: “Like lots of working mums, my days are pretty full and I find myself sending emails at odd hours and working weekends! I know my team who are mums are doing the same, in fact I’m in awe of the mums who are juggling work and home schooling.”

With COVID-19 restrictions yet to be lifted, Charmaine and Anne-Marie are spending Mother’s Day apart this year but look forward to a home cooked meal together when it’s safe to do. And what’s on the menu? “Our favourite dish would be a French Trim Rack of Scotch Lamb – it was one of my dad’s favourites and we still love it as a family”, says Anne-Marie. 

Gordon Newlands, Brands Development Manager at Quality Meat Scotland said: “The Scottish red meat industry is full of families that share a passion for bringing the best quality products to customers – and the mother-daughter duo of Charmaine and Anne-Marie Bain at Aberdeenshire Larder is no different. We’re proud to have them as part of the Scotch Butchers Club family.”

This Mother’s Day treat your mum or mother figure to a restaurant quality meal at home using quality assured and delicious red meat. Aberdeenshire Larder’s grocery store is open, and a selection of Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Scottish Wild Venison is also available to purchase online at www.aberdeenshirelarder.co.uk.

Recipes can be found at www.scotchkitchen.com or @TheScotchKitchen on Instagram.