King's butcher faces a 'dark day' as site closes after DukesHill takeover

King Charles linked butcher brand Donald Russell has been sold in a major takeover that will see more than 120 jobs cut.

Marking the end of an era for the historic Aberdeenshire firm once known as the “King’s butcher.”

The Royal Warrant-holding supplier, which provided premium cuts to the royal household of King Charles, has been acquired by Shropshire-based meat producer DukesHill in a deal that shifts ownership, brand rights and operations south of the border.

Founded in 1974 near Balmoral, Donald Russell built its reputation supplying high-end meat to royal and luxury clients around the world. 

The company secured its Royal Warrant in 1984, cementing its close association with the royal household, and even welcomed then Prince of Wales on a visit to its Aberdeenshire site in 1995.

However, the legacy brand had been under mounting pressure in recent years, squeezed by record beef prices, rising energy bills and increasing tax costs. 

Those challenges ultimately led to the sale of the business after a prolonged period of financial strain.

The deal, completed this week, sees DR Fine Foods - DukesHill’s parent company take control of the Donald Russell brand, website and intellectual property. 

While 79 staff from the direct-to-consumer division have been transferred to the new owner, their roles will now move from Inverurie in Aberdeenshire to Shropshire.

Conservative MP Harriet Cross described the closure of the Inverurie operation as “a dark day” for the local economy and Scotland’s meat industry, reflecting concern over the loss of a long-established rural employer.