Family-run butchers celebrate 80 years in business
One of Macclesfield's most enduring family businesses is celebrating its ruby anniversary.
Spearings Butchers, on Park Green, turns 80 years old this month.
By no means has it been an easy journey, with the family-run butcher shop having overcome many obstacles over the years.
Rachael Spearing, granddaughter of the company's founder, said: "We're incredibly proud to reach this milestone.
"It hasn't always been easy – especially during challenges like the COVID pandemic – but we've survived so much, and we're still going strong."
The story begins in 1945 when Denis William Spearing (D.W. Spearing) returned from service in the Second World War and opened a shop on Cross Street, Macclesfield.
Denis had served in the elite Airborne Division - parachuted into France as part of the red berets and glider units - and was part of the Catering Corps, feeding troops during the final phases of the war.
Like many of his generation, Denis rarely spoke of his wartime experiences, but his sense of duty carried through into his business.
His wife, Margaret, contributed £100 in savings from her work at the Co-op shoe shop to help launch the enterprise - a considerable sum at the time and a true family investment.
In the late 1950s and early 60s, the business moved to 12 Park Green after the council issued a compulsory purchase order on the Cross Street site, although it would be another ten years before the original building was finally demolished.
At one point, the family also ran a second shop in Buxton, though unpredictable weather made it difficult to sustain.
Their son, Marshall Spearing, later expanded the business further with a large premises on Back Wallgate and Market Place in Macclesfield.
When D.W. retired in 1987, Marshall purchased the Park Green shop and took over the family business.
In 2017, as Marshall's health declined, the next generation - his wife and daughters Rachael, Sarah, and Emma - stepped in to lead the company.
Spearings Limited was officially formed that year to carry the legacy forward.
Although Marshall sadly passed away in 2021, his legacy lives on through his family and the business he helped to build.
Today, Spearings Limited continues to serve the Macclesfield community with the same integrity and personal touch that has defined the business for eight decades.
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