A family business established in 1880
Situated in the heart of rural Northumberland, Turnbull’s of Alnwick are a sixth generation Family Butchers, established in 1880 by Roger Turnbull. The business first traded on Clayport Street, Alnwick, not far from the current day premises they occupy. Roger passed the business to his two sons, Murdie and John who were preceded by Murdies son Robert.
Robert, known as Bobby Turnbull, moved the business to its Market Street location during the 1950’s. Bobby who was married to Ada had three sons and a daughter. Their daughter Elizabeth married and relocated ‘down country’ while the three sons, Roger, Peter and John took over the running of the business. During the 1970’s the brothers bought the shop next door, Pitt’s Drapers, and knocked the two shops into one, opening a Greengrocers and Sandwich Bar in the new part of the extended shop.
Six Generations
Roger Turnbull retired from the business in 2003 and Peter in 2005, although both Brothers are occasionally found calling in to give a helping hand and make the coffee! John’s son Mark joined the business in 1987 and took on the running of the business with his father in 2005. John semi-retired in 2011, leaving Mark to run the shop. John still remains a fixture in the shop, in his words ‘keeping everyone right!’ In 2012 Mark’s son, Daniel, joined the family firm after graduating from Loughborough University with a Physics Degree.
In 2007 the shop underwent a major re-fit and the Greengrocers was condensed, making way for a large bakery and delicatessen area as the business diversified to keep up with the modern day demands. Turnbull’s are one of the towns biggest Small Business employers, currently employing 25 team members, all of whom take a great pride in the job they do. It is this passion of the work force that allows the business to be at the cutting edge of the retail meat industry, all of which is quite an achievement for a Sixth generation Family Business in Rural Northumberland!
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Expansion into Food Hall
Turnbull’s have also become the must-visit home of Northumbrian Food with the creation of a flagship Food Hall on the edge of town, which opened in December 2019.
The modern, state-of the art Food Hall encompasses a Traditional Butchers as well as an indulgent selection of seasonal vegetables, award-winning pies and salads, hot and cold food-to go and so much more. The Food Hall also showcases the best Northumbrian Produce from an an abundance of local suppliers making Turnbull’s the one stop shop for everything you might need.