1930s Butchers Shop, Seaton Devon

Starting life in the mid 1930s, the butchers shop was originally called Eastmans. It later became a part of the Dewhurst chain. Latterly, it was GK Meats for many years then in December 2015 it was taken over by Lloyd Maunder, when some very interesting original features came to light during renovations.

I took the two photos above and the one below whilst having a walk around Seaton looking for interesting details. This was when it still belonged to GK Meats. Being a Sunday the shop was closed but I loved the original mosaic pattern on the doorstep and the glazed wall tiles in the entranceway. The owner, Glen, told me later on that the chains are original and were used for displaying carcasses, such as rabbits, pheasants or even a pig. This was well before 'Health & Safety' rules and regulations, of course! ;) 

I took the rest of the photos sometime in October 2016, after reading about the interior decor discovery in the local newspaper.

Apart from the glazed tiles and door mosaic, the exterior features include the lovely details above the windows and doors. The door, below, leads to the accommodation upstairs, and it too has the original decor on the door panels and window above it.

During the renovations the wall cladding and a false ceiling were taken down, revealing the original glazed tiles underneath. Matching the colour of the tiles in the entrance, the interior ones comprise of lovely foliate swathes beneath the ceiling and other decorative patterns lower down beneath a dado.

Sadly, Lloyd Maunder stayed for less than three years, as the Seaton branch wasn't as financially viable as their other shops. However, one thing we can be very grateful for is the renovation work they did to reveal the original shop decor.

   
Now a Micro Pub, the shop still retains those features. I haven't been inside myself, as I don't go out in the evenings these days...or hardly drink at all either, come to that, lol. The newspaper photos I've seen look good, though.

Here's some blurb about the pub taken from Whatpub.com.

"This Micro Pub is situated in an old butchers shop. There are four real ales and four real ciders served straight from the casks which are stored in the old cold room. There is no fizzy beer or lager and no music. The emphasis is on conversation but NOT on mobile phones. The landlord always wears a hat, which is reflected in the pubs unusual name. Snacks such as crisps and biltong are available."

Called All Hat and No Cattle, shortened to The Hat, I came across the saying 'All hat and no cattle' in the Urban Dictionary, which means...

"A slang phrase from the Southwestern United States, indicating a person is more image or projection than actual substance. It is probably derived from the regions contempt for people who are not cowboys or ranchers but who try to mimic the frontiersman image through superficial adoption of the regions folkways."
 

I had no idea what Biltong is, so I had to look it up. For others who haven't heard of it before either, here's what Wikipedia says about it.

"Biltong is a form of dried, cured meat that originated in Southern African countries (South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana and Zambia). Various types of meat are used to produce it, ranging from beef to game meats such as ostrich or kudu."

So there we have it! A fabulous resurrection from the past, showing the lovely kinds of detail that were often used in shops some 80 to 90 years ago. :)