Glan Haswell Butchers of Silksworth is a well known family butcher in the Sunderland area.
We have been butchers for almost 100 years.
John Haswell, the present owners Great Grandfather, was a farmer in Seaham. He and his wife, Isabel, had six children (four daughters and two sons). They owned a very busy dairy farm for many years. The daughters encouraged their father to sell up and move from the farm to the town.

Their first butcher shop was in Seaham and in 1924 they moved to a shop in Silksworth, from there to our present location. At that time and for almost thirty years the shop had its own slaughter house.

They made Black Pudding, sausages, dripping and prepared their own cow heels. Later, they produced pies, pastries and savoury squares from a small bakery on the premises.

John Haswell’s youngest son, Glanville Haswell worked with his father on the original farm before they took over the butchers shop in Seaham. He later worked with his father at the Silksworth business and eventually, after his father, ran the business with his wife Eva. Many of the home deliveries were made by bicycle in those early days, and delivery boys travelled as far as South Hylton for many years.

Deliveries were made from a huge basket attached to the front of the bicycle – which the company still owns today. Glanvilles son, John Glanville, was next in succession. He began working with his father, learning the business from his father throughout the fifties. He and his wife Jean took over the business in 1976. At that point they had the shop refurbished and a cold counter was put in.

Deep freezing was introduced and a move was made towards the catering trade. The retail/catering business is presently being taken care of by Glanville, Jean and their two daughters, Gillian and Joanne.

The whole operation was then moved to its current location at Homer Hill Farm.

We supply hotels, restaurants, pubs, colleges and nursing homes throughout the North East of England. Mr Glan Haswell is Butchery Manager, Gillian Hide is Retail Manager, and Joanne manages the Coffee Shop.

Mr Glan Haswell is Head of Sales, and looks after Logistics, and Mr David Kirtley specialises in our home produced sausages and burgers, all complimented by our warm and friendly staff working in the shop, preparation areas and delivery vans.

The family farms in the Durham area, and supplies some of the fine quality beef that is supplied to and used in the shop. Farm visits and tours are available and welcome, please contact us for more details. We serve a wide variety of customers as well as quality catering establishments, serving some of the best meals in the North East.

We are passionate about our food and proud to offer a personal service.

The Haswell family farm over 110 acres in County Durham, mainly made up of Aberdeen Angus, Belgian Blue and Charolais cattle.

Most of which is used through the Farm Shop Butchery, and used in the commercial cutting plant.

They have farmed in their current location for over 30 years. Prior to that they were in Seaham and then Silksworth before moving to their present location.

Prior to cattle farming, pig and poultry farming was the family business.