THE steaks are high for a leading butcher drawing long-distance customers to a town market stall.

Tom Wood, formerly butchery manager at Huntley’s Country Stores at Samlesbury, has set up at Blackburn Market.

The 38-year-old, who has twice represented Britain in butchery contests, leapt at the chance to take over the stall occupied for decades by Pickup Butchers.

He said he was encouraged to invest in Blackburn after seeing a ‘massive improvement’ in the town.

Mr Wood, who lives in Longridge, said he was impressed after his first visit after a long-absence.

He said: “I used to come nightclubbing to Peppermint Place but I hadn’t been to Blackburn for a long time.

“It’s a massive improvement. A lot of money has been invested and the town seems so much better.”

The Tom Wood Artisan Butchers stall, which has a four-strong team, opened in April and Mr Wood left Huntley’s in May. Since then, he said, business has been ‘mental’.

Customers make the journey from as far afield as Skipton and Preston for his quality produce.

Mr Wood, a farmer’s son, said: “It’s all about quality. It’s the way you go about nurturing your meat to get the best flavour and price so everyone is happy.

“We don’t bring in meat from abroad and we buy everything in carcass.”

Mr Wood has a big date in his diary next March, when he will captain the British entry in the next staging of the growing global butchery competition.

He is especially determined after missing out by a point in the 2015 and 2016 events.

He said: “Britain has never won it. That’s why I don’t give up.”

A YouTube video of Tom showing the correct way of how to butcher a lamb for the Farmers Guardian has over 1.1million views.