A butcher’s shop has sold more than 400 turkeys in what looks to be its best Christmas yet.

Church’s’ Butchers in High Street, Epping, has managed to shift more birds than ever before and has been helping the community enjoy their Christmas.

The shop put on a barbecue for the town’s Christmas market recently and has also supplied the turkey for the Epping Senior Citizen’s Association Christmas lunches and some church Christmas functions in the area.

Shop owner Paul Parker said: “I think customers like us because they know us and we’ve been in the town for a long time and we stick to what we know.

“It’s great to see people enjoying themselves and I think people appreciated the barbeque.”

Mr Parker, who sells locally sourced free range turkeys, is expecting a busy run-up to Christmas as people collect their pre-ordered birds and other joints.

He said: “We usually get queues out of the door so I should apologise to anyone who is trying to get past.

“We will have a lot of staff on though to manage the demand.”

The queues will no doubt be lengthened by the lure of freshly baked sausage rolls and sweet mince pies which will be offered to customers next week.

When asked what he would be eating on the big day, Mr Parker replied: “I’ll be having turkey.

“We don’t specifically keep any of our own stock for ourselves here so sometimes I don’t get my own turkey sorted until Christmas Eve.”

Church’s will be open until 3pm on Christmas Eve for any last-minute meat requirements.