SALTAIRE-based Paul Binns Quality Meats has been awarded membership of the exclusive Q Guild of Butchers – becoming one of an elite group of the best butchers in the country.

For more than 30 years, membership of The Q Guild has been seen as a seal of butchery excellence- marking out some of Britain’s best independent butchers.

The award comes after owner Paul Binns and his wife Mandi invested £100k refurbishing and extending the 20-year-old business, which is based on Bingley Road.

Paul started his working life in the family butchery business 35 years ago, at the age of 14, where he learned the trade from his father – and has been building his reputation ever since. With the help of then girlfriend Mandi – who sold her beloved sports car to help fund the venture - he opened his first shop, Binns Quality Meats, in Bradford's Rawson Market in 1999.

After a successful start they soon moved to larger premises in the Oastler Shopping Centre, where the business went from strength to strength. In 2016 the business expanded further when Mandi gave up a successful career in IT to build a bakery unit adjacent to the shop and launch The Quality Yorkshire Pie Co.

Later that year Paul took over his father’s shop in Saltaire and subsequently relocated the whole business to the Bingley Road premises.

The couple, who are supported by an experienced team of four, have since invested £100,000 in refurbishing the shop and establishing the bakery business.

Paul said: “I have been a butcher all my working life and it’s not just a job but a great passion for me – so being awarded membership of the Q Guild is a huge honour.

"We pride ourselves on the handpicked quality meat we provide to our customers – we source all our produce locally, so we have full traceability and everything is farm fresh, which the customers really appreciate.

“The business has thrived for 20 years, but growth has been rapid since we moved to Saltaire, which is a wonderful location to be in.

"With the added addition of the in-house bakery – offering handmade pies, pasties, sausage rolls and more – and the Q Guild we really see the business continuing to grow.”

Q Guild butchers must pass a regular audit of all aspects of their business to become members.

The audit is conducted by the Q Guild committee and Shoppers Anonymous and is in addition to a minimum Food Standards Agency EHO rating of 4 or 5*.