Almost 18 years ago, Jock Gibson took over the reins of family-owned Macbeth’s Butchers.
The business grew in 2015 when he and his wife Fiona also took over the running of the Edinvale farm at Dallas after the sudden deaths of his parents Michael and Susan.
It has been far from plain sailing, with the firm having to navigate many challenges.
However, today it is firmly established as a Forres town centre mainstay.
The former engineer had originally planned to run the butchers for only five years.
However, it has rapidly grown.
Jock said: “I was quite enjoying things down in Glasgow, but one of the things I discovered was that I wasn’t a very good engineer.
“Around the same time, my mum—who had really been running the butcher shop—was wanting to step away from it.
“They were looking at potentially selling the business, and I was kind of needing a change.”
He added: “They very kindly let me come back and run it for a while.
“The initial plan was to run it for five years and see where we were, but five years has turned into about 17.”
How have you faced the challenges?
Jock believes having the making the butchers a diverse business has been key in making Macbeth’s a success in Forres.
He said: “When I came back in 2007, by 2008 we were already into the financial crisis and the credit crunch.
“Since then, it’s been constant change and adaptation—whether it’s food scares, Covid, or other challenges.
“Some of it has been really good; we were very fortunate during Covid when many businesses weren’t.
“But other things, like the financial crisis, weren’t so easy.
“We’re very tied to the hospitality industry, and when they go through a tough time, it makes life difficult for us too.
“Yes, it certainly helps to have a bit of diversity in the business.
“Whether it’s the retail shop, mail order, or cutting and packing for others, it all helps build resilience. If one part isn’t doing so well, you’d hope the others are.”
How Forres’ booming town centre has helped Macbeth’s Butchers
Forres town centre is certainly thriving with new businesses opening up and others expanding too.
Jock has revealed how the positive atmosphere has encouraged them to carry out a major refurbishment of the butcher shop and open up a new business.
In December, Jock’s wife Fiona Gibson opened up Old Market Refillery next door to the butchers on Tolbooth Street aiming to help the community reduce plastic waste.
Jock said: “We opened the Old Market Refillery next door to the butcher’s.
“It’s a refill store and micro-bakery that my wife Fiona has set up and is running.
“That’s a growing business and there is a confidence that comes with being able to invest when the town is on an upward cycle.
“Right now, almost every shop in Forres has something going on.
“It gives people a reason to come to Forres as there are lots of great independent shops each offering something unique.
“There’s a buzz about the place with it being friendly, accessible and easy to park that makes a massive difference”
Meanwhile, the retail butchers shop was completed renovated with a new look.
It included new refrigeration, dry agers and better shelving.
Jock said: “It was a complete gut and refurb of the retail part of the shop.
“When my parents first bought Macbeths, it was up on the High Street and then moved to Tollbooth Street in the mid 1990s.
“At that time, they took over Nichols, the game dealers, and spent about a quarter of a million on refurbishing.
“It’s a double-height building—the old indoor Victorian market—so they added a floor and offices but the retail side was never really touched.
“That side hadn’t been redone since about 1957, so it was long overdue and has make a big difference.”
Facing off against supermarkets
Many businesses face competition from the big supermarkets.
However, Jock says a butcher’s offering is different to the national chains.
He raises cattle on grass and pasture only at Edinvale farm at Dallas.
He said: “I’d argue it’s a different product. We go directly to individual farms—including our own Edinvale —for our produce.
“On our own farm, we’re 100% grass and forage-fed. We don’t use concentrate feeds, chemical sprays, or fertilisers.”
He added: “We try to appeal to people looking for a more ethical, healthy option—those who are conscious about what they eat.
“Supermarkets often carry Scotch beef or lamb, but it’s at a different quality mark than what we’re producing.
“We also offer complete traceability. If someone comes into the shop, we can give them the exact grid reference of where the animal came from.
“That builds a lot of confidence.”
What are the future plans for Macbeth’s?
Jock wants to focus on continuing to deliver quality products.
However, the firm is currently looking to build a large new shop at Edinvale farm.
In September, the plans were approved by planning chiefs.
The shop would operate on a self-service basis with the use of vending machines.
Meanwhile, the building will sell produce from both the farm and local producers.
A self-service coffee machine will be set up for cyclists and passers-by to get hot and cold drinks and snacks. There will be seating too.
Now, they are currently developing building warrant drawings for the next step in making this come true.
It is hoped a new shop will help locals who are having to travel to Forres or Elgin for food shops.
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