BUTCHER Mark Woolfe will break up his last body of beef on December 20 in readiness for the closure of Creek Meats four days later.
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After 18 years of cranking up the bandsaw, being elbow-deep in mince, wielding his razor-sharp knife, and going home daily smelling of raw meat, Mark will finally close the front door for the last time.
Closure of Werris Creek’s only butcher shop will have mixed emotions for the 37-year-old, though “we’ve had some fun, met some great mates, and even had a few strange requests, like one bloke coming in wanting some hot chips”.
Mark’s parents, Neville and Lorraine Woolfe, purchased the butchery 16 years ago. Mark completed his apprenticeship there, after doing two years with Sherwood Meats in Tamworth, and younger brother Scott also learned his trade at the Creek outlet.
“When dad retired from the railway after about 30 years, he bought the shop. I’ve been here since. Mum and dad come down and help out three days a week – for nothing. They won’t take anything, maybe a pork chop now and then,” he joked.
“Now they’ll be able to start enjoying themselves, going on holidays instead of helping me.”
Mark reckons it’s “a damn shame” smaller butcher shops are becoming a thing of the past.
“There used to be four here, now the closest will be Quirindi,” he said.
“Doing an apprenticeship in small shops is the only way to go. You learn heaps more, like breaking down a beast. You don’t learn that in the big supermarkets; everything comes in boxes.
“It’s the convenience factor for people. They go get their groceries, and grab the meat at the same time. Damn shame.
“Supermarkets have ridiculous specials, too. A while back I saw snags for $3.99 a kilo. We can’t make them for under $7 a kilo. How can you compete with that?”
With his newfound freedom, Mark intends to take “a few weeks off”, which will include taking wife Sharryn and kids Liam, 12, and nine-year-old Talia away for a holiday, before knuckling down and looking for another job that “doesn’t involve so much weekend work”.
“I’ve worked six days a week for 18 years, and only had two weeks off. I won’t know myself – holidays, no weekends, will be great,” he said.
He said he’d missed the kids playing sport, though the passionate league supporter admits to having “never missed” an NRL West Tigers or Group 4 Werris Creek Magpies clash.
“Love my footy,” he said.
