Harding’s Quality Meats in Onchan is the first butcher’s to support a ’make sure it’s Manx’ campaign’ to encourage more shoppers to buy locally produced beef, pork and lamb.

The family business in Summerhill Road is supporting the Isle of Man Meats initiative.

The aim is to make it easier for consumers to identify genuine local produce with the help of clearer labelling, posters, and leaflets in participating butchers shops across the island.

The Isle of Man Meats labels are designed to complement the Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture’s provenance logos that indicate produce that is grown, reared, caught and/or processed in the Isle of Man and/or contains mostly Manx ingredients.

Harding’s Quality Meats is owned and run by husband and wife Steven and Claire Harding.

They bought the business three years ago with the aim to stock as much Manx meat as possible because they feel it’s important to support local producers.

Mr Harding, 42, told Business News he and his wife are committed to selling only Manx meat.

And he said their army of customers are happy to buy Manx lamb, beef and pork.

Mr Harding said he and his wife had thrown themselves fully into the butcher’s shop.

It came about after he was made redundant a few years ago.

’We have never looked back and we pride ourselves on the Manx meat we sell,' he said.

Mr Harding added: ’We are 100 per cent behind the campaign.’

He said his shop is one of just two butchers’ shops that only sell meat produced here in the island, the other being W.E. Teare in Parliament Street, Ramsey.

Among the most popular products sold at the Onchan shop are sausages and pies which Mr Harding makes himself using Manx meat.

Last year research conducted by Isle of Man Meats - the supplier of locally produced beef, lamb and pork sold both on and off-island - showed that Manx consumers wanted to see clearer labelling of locally produced meat.

Alan Croly, customer and communications manager at Isle of Man Meats, said: ’We know that there is a demand for locally produced, high quality meat - and more and more consumers are becoming aware of the fact that supporting local farmers and butchers is good for the local economy.

’We’ve responded to consumer concerns about labelling by working with our retail partners, and we’re delighted to see how Steven and Claire have used the labels, posters and literature in their shop.

’In the coming weeks and months consumers will see the new labelling and supporting marketing materials when they visit our other valued retailers across the island.’

Isle of Man Meats received nine accolades for its products in the 2018 Great Taste Awards. The awards, organised by the Guild of Fine Food, are often described as the food and drink sectors’ equivalent of the Oscars.