A MONMOUTHSHIRE family butchers won first prize at last week’s Royal Welsh Winter Fair.

Golden Valley Meat and Game, under the management of Adrian Walker, won Overall Champion of Welsh Meat Hampers, beating strong opposition from across Wales at the two-day event which took place on 26th and 27th November.

They claimed first prize in the ‘Fresh Welsh Christmas Meat Hamper suitable for a Christmas Celebration’ category, and claimed second prize in the ‘Fresh Welsh Breakfast Meat Hamper suitable for a Bumper Breakfast’ category.

The hampers were judged on quality, variety, appearance and presentation.

Golden Valley Meat and Game has been serving the public, retail and catering industry for more than 30 years from the village of Grosmont. It is a family business in the grounds of the family home with a fully equipped butcher’s facility.

The village of Grosmont, in the north of Monmouthshire, is in an area of outstanding natural beauty, a wonderful place to live and work.

After beginning his butchery career working as a Saturday boy on the front counter of a local butcher’s shop, in 2014 Adrian was awarded the award of Accredited Master Butcher by the Meat Training Council at their annual dinner held in the historic Butchers Hall in Smithfield, London.

This impressive award makes Adrian one of only 14 Accredited Master Butchers in the UK and the only one in Wales and the three counties of Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire.