the essential
One of the few butchers in the heart of Montauban is launching an appeal to defend local commerce. And the Fauré intend to hang on.
The rumor is spreading following the cry for help that a worried customer shared on Facebook. So no, the Registry butchery is not going to close. Even if, in fact, the managers do not hide their difficulties. “It’s a publication that is basically benevolent but has been a double-edged sword for commerce. Since then, we have observed a certain uptick among certain customers but others no longer come thinking that we have closed or are about to close. While we cling to the fundamentals of our profession: choice, quality and proximity to breeders,” explains Lucien Fauré.
For someone who had a business that was running smoothly in Rabastens before taking over, 18 months ago, this business in the center of a town of 62,000 inhabitants, the blow is a bit hard to take. “We questioned ourselves, wondering if we were the problem. But on Friday and Saturday, we have people. Very quiet days are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Many of our customers tell us about the difficulties in parking and the fact that they have to pay for everything. Except on Saturdays because it is free in the afternoon, we would need to review the parking plan: we would need more spaces in blue to benefit from more flow during the week and thus encourage consumption in the city. Crafts, and there are some very nice shops in Montauban, are what make the heart of the city. And the prices there are not necessarily more expensive than in supermarkets,” observes the Fauré couple.
“We are not here to bleed breeders”
The economic situation, impoverishment, the advent of commercial zones and customers who want to park in stores: we know, all of this does not speak in favor of local commerce. “Our fixed costs and raw materials have increased but we cannot pass this increase on to prices, otherwise it will encourage customers to go to supermarkets, where we drive prices down. But we respect the breeders and we want them to be paid. When I see prime rib for €13 per kilo but how is that possible? With us, there is an approach behind it: we are not here to bleed the breeders,” says Lucien Fauré, who gets his supplies from Maison Jucla, in Saint-Gaudens. Guaranteed “made in” Comminges and Pyrenees.
“Even with €15, you can treat yourself to the butcher. The challenge is also to educate our children about quality food,” says Ms. Fauré. A debate is more relevant than ever. So the trader wants to point out that with her husband, she only works “half hours”. You have to understand: half-cows. We will therefore never find 50 beef cheeks or as many entrecôtes and flank steaks on the same day since the Fauré work directly. So the best thing is to order*.
“We hang on, we stay motivated and honestly, I have a blast working with my wife. Especially since this location, very close to the Place Nationale, is very nice,” smiles the butcher who, at the start of the January school year, will open on Mondays and between noon and two all week. “We put all our hearts into it. We invested our savings, the goal is to stay there. We recognize our customers, they trust us: it’s such a lively business. »
*6 rue du Greffe. Contact: [email protected] or 05 63 68 20 66.
