Paul Conway (butcher)

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Paul Conway

Paul's Quality Butchers, Kilsyth
Born 1978
Kilsyth, Scotland
Occupation Butcher, CEO

Paul Conway (born 1978) is a Scottish butcher and businessman.

Paul Conway is proprietor of Paul's Quality Butchers, with branches in Kilsyth established in 2002 and Bonnybridge in 2005 in Scotland, UK. He was a 2004 Regional Business Award winner at the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust The Prince's Trust / The Royal Bank of Scotland 'Young Entrepreneur of the Year' Awards[1][2] and Finalist in the Youth Business International Entrepreneur of the Year award 2006.[3] He addressed HRH Prince Charles and MSPs at the Scottish Parliament in July 2005, [4][5] and was featured in celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay's The F-Word programme on Channel 4. [1] Conway's shop in Kilsyth was named the Scottish Butcher's Shop of the Year in the final of the UK Butcher's shop of the year contest which is organised every year by Meat Trades Journal, held at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant at Claridge's, London on November 20th 2007 [6] , [7]

Contents

[edit] Background and training

Paul Conway gained working experience from the age of 13 years of age in the local butcher's shop. After leaving school, Conway became an apprentice with a local butcher, gaining experience in different butchers' shops.

Due to the financial pressure of having a young family Conway went into debt. He approached The Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) who approved his business plan awarding a start up loan. Conway benefited from the help of his mentor, Sheila Devlin-Thorpe.

With the help of the PSYBT growth fund, Conway put together a business plan that allowed him in 2005 to buy the Bonnybridge premises that now operate as a butchery/bakery business.[4] Conway's business has thrived. He now employs 25 part and full-time staff in two premises with a turnover of nearly a million pounds a year.[1]

[edit] Awards

Conway has won numerous trade and business awards in this highly competitive business. He took gold medals in two categories—traditional steak pie and specialty pie (steak and sausage) on 26 September 2007, at the Steak Pie evaluation organised by the Scottish Federation of Meat Trades held at the Garfield House Hotel, Stepps.[8] He also came away with overall Scottish third place and first place for the West of Scotland at the Scottish Pork Sausage Championships held in Perth on May 12.[9] In 2006 he won silver awards for his Pork & Cracked Pepper Sausage and Cumberland Sausage.[10]

[edit] Community activities and philanthropy

Conway sponsors local youth boxing and football teams [11][12] and cultural events [13] and speaks regularly at PSYBT events and as a role-model for young aspiring entrepreneurs [14].

[edit] Family

Conway is married and a father of five children. The youngest, Alleisha, was born in October 2007.[8]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Paul's Quality Butcher receives recognition
  2. ^ Butcher Meets The Challenge at a Leading Business Awards Ceremony for Young Entrepreneurs
  3. ^ Paul Conway realises his dream of running his own butchers
  4. ^ a b Youth business international entrepeneur of the year finalist 2006 Scotland
  5. ^ Only a humble butcher
  6. ^ Butcher's Shop of the Year
  7. ^ A cut above - Kilsyth Today
  8. ^ a b Kilsyth News and Chronicle, October 17, 2007
  9. ^ Speciality Sausage Awards (first place Pork Sausage Championships)
  10. ^ Speciality Sausage Awards (Pork & Cracked Pepper Sausage and Cumberland Sausage)
  11. ^ Vandals attack sponsor's van
  12. ^ Boxing club for Kilsyth
  13. ^ KIC 2007 Hall of Fame
  14. ^ Butcher Paul in business deal with pupils