Boulton’s Artisan Butchery crowned winner of Queen’s Jubilee best dressed window competition
Madeley high street business Boulton’s Artisan Butchery has been crowned winner of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee best dressed window competition.
Businesses across the borough have been decorating their windows to mark her Majesty’s 70 years on the throne.
Over 35 high street shops across the borough entered the competition and have been giving their customers a royal welcome in the run-up to the four day jubilee celebrations which begin on Thursday 2 June and will continue until 5 June.
The competition has given shops and businesses the chance to enter into the carnival spirit by decorating their windows in a royal theme and promote their businesses and services to existing and new customers at the same time.
It was staged through Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street programme which supports new and existing businesses and helps them tackle the pressures that high streets face by offering them a series of grants and funding support.
Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet members judged the windows in each town before Boulton’s Butchers was chosen as the winner and Jolly Good Pantry in Dawley as the runner up.
Boulton’s Butchers opened on New Road, Madeley in February thanks to a £10,000 business start-up grant through Telford & Wrekin Council’s Pride in Our High Street programme – bringing a butchers to the town for the first time in 15 years.
As well as selling locally sourced fresh meats, Boulton’s has also branched out as a delicatessen and artisan shop offering fish, bread, eggs, cakes, and farm shop quality produce.
Jolly Good Pantry opened on Dawley High Street in September 2021 and offers a range of delicious local produce, which is also available for home delivery, including free range eggs, jams, honey, pies and much more.
In recent weeks, a series of high street celebration events have also been taking place across the Telford and Wrekin borough towns including Newport, Oakengates, Dawley, Ironbridge, Madeley and Wellington, together with Southwater.
Events are also planned at Buckingham Palace and across the UK to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s historic reign.
Councillor Shaun Davies (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council Leader, said: “The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a monumental celebration for our nation and it’s fantastic to see high streets across the borough embracing the celebrations.
“The high street best dressed window competition has helped to transform our high streets into a sea of colour and we’re pleased that businesses across our towns have supported the competition and added to this historic occasion.
“Congratulations to Boulton’s Butchers for an excellent display which has really captured people’s attention in Madeley.”
Nikola Boulton runs Boulton’s Butchers with her husband Martin and is delighted to land first prize.
Nikola said: “We’re over the moon to win this competition. We are a British butcher and we felt that entering the competition was very British and we are proud to be part of these celebrations.
“We’re producing a Jubilee sausage and a Jubilee pie to mark the occasion which is fantastic for Madeley and the whole nation.”
Ros Jolly, Jolly Good Pantry co-owner with husband Brian, added: “We’re pleased that we’ve dressed our window and been part of the competition and thrilled to have finished runners up.
“It’s very proactive of Telford & Wrekin Council to organise this competition – bringing businesses and local people together to celebrate this fantastic landmark.”
Councillor Lee Carter (Lab), Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services, Regeneration, and the High Street, said: “Our high street businesses have gone the extra mile to support the Platinum Jubilee celebrations by dressing their windows.
“There have been some fantastic entries across the borough and we’d like to congratulate Boulton’s Butchers and Jolly Good Pantry.
“It’s great to see a buzz on our high streets and this competition and encouraging local people to get involved with the festivities has added to that buzz.”
Since the Pride in Our High Street programme was launched in 2019, the council has issued 66 Revive and Thrive grants for start-up businesses (both pop up and physical shops) and only three have closed their doors during this time, demonstrating the effectiveness of the scheme.
You can find out more about the Pride in Our High Street programme and support for businesses here.
