in the beginning...

Harry Taylor was a Yorkshireman, born in Sheffield. Who used a horse and cart to travel around the north of England as a butcher manager, setting up butchers’ stalls and shops and moving on.

In 1922, seeing a niche for a business of his own in Darlington, he brought his family from Sheffield to Darlington and set a market stall there selling meat and pies.

Taylors butchers at an old market
Traditional Family

A Family run business since 1922

His business prospered and soon he was able to purchase 43 – 44 Skinnergate and furnish the premises as a shop. During the Second World War, he supplied all the NAAFIs in the area. Business increased so that he needed and was able to buy numbers 41 and 42 Skinnergate and expand the scope of the shop.

As Harry’s sons grew up and left school, they learned the trade, so that when he retired his sons took over. Robert left the family business in 1952 to set up his own shop in Cockerton. Sadly, another son, Cyril, died in 1957, whilst Dick left in 1959 to run his own shop in Hollyhurst Road. Jimmy continued to run the Skinnergate shop on his own with about 50 staff until he retired in 1975.

Taylor and Sons old butchers
outside of Taylors butchers

after 1975...

The business continued under his daughter Pamela and his nephew Tony. This latter partnership operated until the retirement of Pamela and Tony in 2008. Paul, Stuart and Nigel the next generation of Taylors now run the company. In recent years the company has developed and adapted to make the most of a shrinking market.

Traditional butchery has been supplemented by prepared foods, pies and other convenience meat products and frozen foods. The delicatessen trade has been developed. In 1992 a factory unit was set up at Green Street for manufacturing the company’s own prepared pies, sausages and other prepared foods.

Taylors moved to a new purpose built factory in 2007 which also boasts a busy cafe, where their famous pies and other homemade meals can be bought to eat in or take away.

Best butchers in Darlington worth the travel just to come here always very tasty hot pies.

Everything sold there are delicious and reasonable price too.

Always one of our first stops in Darlo. Delicious pork pies and friendly service!

You can’t beat the hot beef bun for a hangover cure!