About us
At Hayden & Baker Butchers we are committed to providing you with an exceptional
customer experience from start to finish when you shop with us.
Why?
Because it really matters to us. You really matter to us. And because we take great pride in what we do.
Putting a smile on your face makes it all worthwhile.
My name is Duncan, and I am the Owner/Director of Hayden & Baker Butchers of Ashtead.
Butchery is my life and my passion. It is who I am. It’s in my DNA.
My lifelong dream has been to have my own shop. After many years working hard, perfecting my skills and expanding my knowledge, I have finally realised my dream.
Hayden & Baker Butchers was established in March 2022 after purchasing the business from the previous owners, William Dyer. I am so pleased and proud that I have managed to buy the shop I fell in love with back in 2009 when I used to work as a butcher at William Dyers.
This makes Hayden & Baker Butchers a young and newly formed company but, do not be mistaken, we bring to Ashtead a wealth of experience in the meat trade. 37 years in fact!
I have spent many years working for some of the UK’s best butchers with the most recent being Parson’s Nose of London where I worked up the ladder to become Operations Manager and Shareholder. I passionately led the team to build a great reputation for both quality of products and customer service. This was shown by winning multiple product awards and even being recognised as Butchers Shop of the Year.
My journey into the meat trade started at a little village butcher shop in Byfleet, Surrey called Morgan & Anstee Butchers. Whilst there I was trained by the head butcher, Joe, who was as hard as nails and worked equally as hard. He had tremendous passion for the trade and a clear focus on where the business was going. His butchery skills were exceptional, and he set high standards for quality and customer service. It was here that I fell in love with the meat trade and decided that butchery was for me.
Joe quickly became more than just a Boss to me. He became a mentor and a friend. He gave me a gift by teaching me about a trade that I believe saved my life. When my father died when I was only 18, he filled the huge void left and took me under his wing. He instilled in me a great working ethic and a sense of direction. I owe a lot to this man and his family.
Sadly, the business suffered in the early 90’s recession. The supermarkets were winning the war on small retailers and coupled with the huge recession, Joe sadly had to close the doors permanently. For a while my life fell apart and I had lost all sense of purpose and willingness.
For years I drifted and managed to find jobs in various butchery establishments. I worked within many different aspects of butchery including wholesale, the beef boning lines, catering butchery and retail. Sadly, I never really settled because none of these aimed for the high standards that I had learnt from Joe. With a heavy heart I decided to leave the meat trade to work within labouring and learnt about the building trade for 3 years or so.
I kept searching but found it difficult to find any butcher shops where I felt inspired and proud to be a part of. But then by chance I stumbled across a village butcher’s shop in Horsell, Surrey. There, I found something I thought was lost forever which was a butcher’s shop with high standards and quality produce. This was 2006, and thankfully, butcher shops were learning how to improve and be better than the supermarkets again. The butcher was making a comeback on the high streets, and I had to be a part of it again.
Since then, the butcher has become a source of genuine knowledge for discerning customers who value knowing the provenance of the meats they buy. The butcher’s shop has become a destination point again for discerning customers who are looking for authentic good quality meat with the added advice and guidance from an experienced professional.
I am telling this story because I want to be personal with you. I want you to know how much I live and breathe butchery. How important it is in my life. Because by knowing how important it is to me, you will also know how important it is that I get it right for you.
Animal welfare is essential to us as is sustainable farming. The meat I sell is predominantly from UK based small holding Farms. I have known and worked with these farming families now for many years. They care equally as much as I do about product quality and customer service. Our beef all comes from Scotland and is supplied by MacDuff. Their animals are home grown, slow reared, free range and have natural diets including omega-3 enriched grass and root crops free from any hormone and growth promoters.
We are always pleased to meet you, with meat to please you!
Come and see for yourselves.
Why?
Because it really matters to us. You really matter to us. And because we take great pride in what we do.
Putting a smile on your face makes it all worthwhile.
My name is Duncan, and I am the Owner/Director of Hayden & Baker Butchers of Ashtead.
Butchery is my life and my passion. It is who I am. It’s in my DNA.
My lifelong dream has been to have my own shop. After many years working hard, perfecting my skills and expanding my knowledge, I have finally realised my dream.
Hayden & Baker Butchers was established in March 2022 after purchasing the business from the previous owners, William Dyer. I am so pleased and proud that I have managed to buy the shop I fell in love with back in 2009 when I used to work as a butcher at William Dyers.
This makes Hayden & Baker Butchers a young and newly formed company but, do not be mistaken, we bring to Ashtead a wealth of experience in the meat trade. 37 years in fact!
I have spent many years working for some of the UK’s best butchers with the most recent being Parson’s Nose of London where I worked up the ladder to become Operations Manager and Shareholder. I passionately led the team to build a great reputation for both quality of products and customer service. This was shown by winning multiple product awards and even being recognised as Butchers Shop of the Year.
My journey into the meat trade started at a little village butcher shop in Byfleet, Surrey called Morgan & Anstee Butchers. Whilst there I was trained by the head butcher, Joe, who was as hard as nails and worked equally as hard. He had tremendous passion for the trade and a clear focus on where the business was going. His butchery skills were exceptional, and he set high standards for quality and customer service. It was here that I fell in love with the meat trade and decided that butchery was for me.
Joe quickly became more than just a Boss to me. He became a mentor and a friend. He gave me a gift by teaching me about a trade that I believe saved my life. When my father died when I was only 18, he filled the huge void left and took me under his wing. He instilled in me a great working ethic and a sense of direction. I owe a lot to this man and his family.
Sadly, the business suffered in the early 90’s recession. The supermarkets were winning the war on small retailers and coupled with the huge recession, Joe sadly had to close the doors permanently. For a while my life fell apart and I had lost all sense of purpose and willingness.
For years I drifted and managed to find jobs in various butchery establishments. I worked within many different aspects of butchery including wholesale, the beef boning lines, catering butchery and retail. Sadly, I never really settled because none of these aimed for the high standards that I had learnt from Joe. With a heavy heart I decided to leave the meat trade to work within labouring and learnt about the building trade for 3 years or so.
I kept searching but found it difficult to find any butcher shops where I felt inspired and proud to be a part of. But then by chance I stumbled across a village butcher’s shop in Horsell, Surrey. There, I found something I thought was lost forever which was a butcher’s shop with high standards and quality produce. This was 2006, and thankfully, butcher shops were learning how to improve and be better than the supermarkets again. The butcher was making a comeback on the high streets, and I had to be a part of it again.
Since then, the butcher has become a source of genuine knowledge for discerning customers who value knowing the provenance of the meats they buy. The butcher’s shop has become a destination point again for discerning customers who are looking for authentic good quality meat with the added advice and guidance from an experienced professional.
I am telling this story because I want to be personal with you. I want you to know how much I live and breathe butchery. How important it is in my life. Because by knowing how important it is to me, you will also know how important it is that I get it right for you.
Animal welfare is essential to us as is sustainable farming. The meat I sell is predominantly from UK based small holding Farms. I have known and worked with these farming families now for many years. They care equally as much as I do about product quality and customer service. Our beef all comes from Scotland and is supplied by MacDuff. Their animals are home grown, slow reared, free range and have natural diets including omega-3 enriched grass and root crops free from any hormone and growth promoters.
We are always pleased to meet you, with meat to please you!
Come and see for yourselves.