NOT only is butcher Andrew Ayris flying the flag for quality British meat at his shop in Marlborough he will also be representing Great Britain in the Tri-Nations butchery challenge.

Mr Ayris, who owns Andrews Quality Meats with his business partner Andy Sears, is one of six butchers to have landed a place in team GB for the competition taking place in Auckland this September. It will see the group of English butchers competing against teams from New Zealand and Australia.

His skills, creativity and speed will be put to the test during the two-hour challenge to display and prep a range of meat and he is hoping to carve up the opposition and bring back gold. “The Kiwis are the ones to beat – they are very good at what they do,” Mr Ayris said.

Away from practising for the competition, Mr Ayris is enjoying the success of his shop, which opened in Marlborough High Street three years ago. They were recently awarded a gold star rating for their dry age sirloin beef, which they mature for 28 days. “To get the rating was fantastic,” he said. “We always sell beef to the top grade.”

His passion for flavour, tradition and locally sourced meat is what Mr Ayris, who has been a butcher since he was 14, says keep his customers coming back to his branches in Marlborough, Wootton Bassett and Highworth.

“It’s all about flavour and we want people to come back. We take care where the animal comes from.

“It’s the real deal with us," he added. "I’m a slaughterman myself, and so I kill it, cook it and eat it. We are traditional, I don’t buy anything in plastic bags because it ruins it. We buy everything on the hoof – we are butchers and customers can get cuts that they can’t get in a supermarket.”

With the sunshine making an appearance the shop has also been busy selling chicken for BBQs. Popular at the moment is the shop's ‘roadkill chicken’ which got its name because of the way it is cut. Mr Ayres recommends it is cooked skin down on a BBQ covered with a glaze and served with salad.