Sparsholt alumni, Lewis Vigor and Frankie Hale, have opened their own butcher’s shop ‘The Brazen Butchers’ in Romsey. Lewis enrolled on the first Butchery apprenticeship run by the College in 2012 and Frankie finished his apprenticeship in 2015 after completing the Land and Wildlife course at Sparsholt.
Frankie said: “The apprenticeship opened lots of new doors and contacts into the industry for me. I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone thinking of doing one as well as Sparsholt College as a whole. Sparsholt really helped me to prepare for my future. Without realising, I learnt so many social skills as well as getting the academic qualification; it was a fantastic insight into the real world. The best thing about Sparsholt is that it’s very hands-on and you gain a lot of experience that way.”
Lewis and Frankie started the outside catering section of the business in 2018 and officially opened their shop in March 2019. The Brazen Butchers adopt traditional butchery methods alongside contemporary practices to ensure their products are nothing but the best – aiming to provide the highest quality service possible. They are keen to become a valuable asset to the local community.
Butchery Apprenticeship lecturer, Denis Cowx said: “Lewis and Frankie underwent their apprenticeship at the butchers at Hursley at different times and since then have worked at different butchers acquiring experience and knowledge along the way. Both of them had always aspired to start a business. It seems to be a good team with Frankie as the front man and Lewis preparing products for the shop.”