THE MANAGER of a new high street butchers has described his first week in the job as “living the dream”.

Customers have been queuing up to get their hands on meat from The Ginger Pig, after it opened its new shop in Wanstead High Street on Friday (July 29).

Adding to the chain’s other London stores that can be found in Hackney, Clapham and Borough Market among other places, The Ginger Pig replaces Wanstead’s family butchers of 90 years, A.G. Dennis Ltd.

The company bought the shop in Clockhouse Parade earlier this year after the high street butchers ceased trading in January.

After working at The Ginger Pig in Borough Market and Barnes, 31-year-old butcher Liam Moore decided to apply for the Wanstead manager job.

He said: “I first found out about the Wanstead store in May and as they don’t hire managers from outside the company, I thought it would be a great opportunity.

“I was absolutely ecstatic when I got the job, I couldn’t wait for the new challenge.”

Liam, who moved to Wanstead to be near the shop as soon as he got the job, trained to be a butcher when he was 16-years-old back home in Galway.

He said: “I got a job behind the meat counter at a supermarket and just fell in love with the trade.

“I have to get up around 5.30am every day to be in the shop for 7am – it can be tiring, but at the start the excitement just takes over.

“Every day you meet more new people with a new story to tell, it’s like living the dream really. It reminds me of being back home in Ireland.

“We have been busier than we could have ever imagined, but everyone has been so lovely and welcoming.”

Each day the shop is staffed by four butchers and three deli workers, but extra staff have had to be added from other branches around London to cope with demand.

Sam Reeves, who usually works at The Ginger Pig in Clapham, said: “When you work in one store for so long, it’s nice to see how the business works elsewhere.

“This week has been great.”

Sam is joined by Alexandra Serban and Benito Franco, who first met manager Liam when they worked in Selfridges together in central London.

He added: “I started butchery at my uncle’s shop back in Italy, so I try to mix my Italian influences with the traditional English stuff where I can.

“The team here are amazing, we’re all really happy to be here.”

In its first week, The Ginger Pig Wanstead’s best sellers have been beef joints and sausage rolls, which sold out within hours on its first day.

There is also a different roast carvery every day between 12pm and 3pm, which Liam claims has also been a roaring success.

He added: “We’re a small team, so the customers are going to get to know us really, because that’s what it’s all about.

“We want to be part of the community and very excited about what’s to come.”