History of RJ Balson & SonIn 1515, John Balson began trading meat at the local market in Bridport, Dorset, England. The Balson family has continued trading in Butchery for almost 500 years, making us England's oldest family butchers. Today, RJ Balson and Son butcher shop can be found in the same location it has been since 1880. The Balsons have managed to survive the influx of supermarkets and fast food, and still run a successful family business after all those years. The family joke is that we've just never made enough money to be able to retire. |
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2010 | Overall Champion | Beef & Horseradish Banger Sausage |
2010 | GOLD AWARD | Honey Roast Pork Banger Sausage |
2010 | GOLD AWARD | Wild Boar Banger Sausage |
2010 | GOLD AWARD | Beef & Horseradish Banger Sausage |
2010 | GOLD AWARD | Dry Cured Back Bacon (Smoked) |
2010 | SILVER AWARD | West Country Pork with Mace, Ginger & Nutmeg |
2010 | SILVER AWARD | Dry Cured Bacon (Unsmoked) |
2010 | SILVER AWARD | Ostrich and Cranberry Banger Sausage |
2008 | GOLD AWARD | Dry Cure Back Bacon |
2005/2006 | GOLD AWARD | Dry Cure Back Bacon |
2005/2006 | GOLD AWARD | Traditional Pork Banger Sausage |
2004/2005 | GOLD AWARD | Home Cured Back Bacon |
2004 | GOLD AWARD | Traditional Pork Banger Sausage Competition |
2003 | GOLD AWARD | Home Cured Back Bacon |
2002 | GOLD AWARD | Home Cured Back Bacon |
We at RJ Balson & Son USA take the craft of butchery very seriously -- it is our belief that each product we produce and package is a direct reflection of our family and the legacy that we have established. As such, we take pride in every aspect of every product, from the raw ingredients to the label packaging. We believe that there is an intimate connection between the food that a person eats and his/her cultural heritage, and we strive to keep those of Irish, Scottish, and English descent connected to their own legacy through our meat products. It is our goal to be a source of comfort to the Ex-Pat community in the U.S. by providing the quality meat items that they are familiar with and that remind them of home.
We focus on the rich culinary legacies that England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales share together. With all of the societal, cultural, and historical conditions that potentially alienate and divide the British Isles, it is our hope that we all as individuals would strive to treat our neighbors as ourselves and to celebrate points of commonality rather than difference. It is our hope that making English and Irish meats in the U,S, would in some small way encourage the recognition of these similarities.
On a global level, we are also aware of the struggles that many of our neighbors face around the world. While, comparatively speaking, we in the Western world eat "high on the hog" and can take for granted basic necessities like clean drinking water, we cannot forget those less fortunate than ourselves. A part of your purchase from RJ Balson & Son goes to support worthwhile causes around the globe. We donate 10% or more of our profits to Water1stInternational (www.water1st.org), World Vision (www.worldvision.org), Not For Sale (www.notforsalecampaign.org) and various smaller scale charities, locally and globally.
RJ Balson & Son on the Food NetworkWatch the Balsons on the Food Network's coverage of the Fancy Food Show in New York:
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RJ Balson & Son Butchers Join Heritage Collection of Historic PlacesBalson's Butcher Shop was sketched as a part of a postcard series for the Heritage Collection of Historic Places by artist Tony Heaton. This and other historic images throughout the U.K. can be found at: www.greetingsfromengland.co.uk
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RJ Balson & Son featured by Mick NoshA great article (below) from Dorset Magazine covering the Balsons, Master Butcher Richard Balson, bangers, back bacon, and Bridport by Mick Nosh.
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Here's a nice article from Athens, GA, from the Athens Banner Herald, covering the Balson butcher shop in Dorset, England and the beginnings of the Balson's bangers and bacon production here in the U.S. Click here to view.
An oldie but a goodie... from the Dorset Echo, coverage of the Balsons winning awards at the Westcountry Food Festival for their back bacon and varieities of British bangers. (See below.)
RJ Balson & Son in BridportA terrific photo printed in a local Bridport paper taken outside the Balson's butcher shop, with Richard Balson and Rudy Boulay proudly displaying their bangers and boiled pork loins.
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