The Leckies Story
Alexander (Sandy) Leckie opened Leckie’s Butchery in 1927. Family legend has it that his fiancee’s mother insisted upon her only daughter marrying a businessman and Sandy obliged, leaving the family farm to become a butcher and gaining his bride, Margaret (Daisy) Nelson in the process.
In 1927, Sandy took out a lease on the butchery shop in Forbury Road from George Barton. Under the terms of the agreement, Sandy leased the premises for one year on the understanding the George Barton was his supplier, with the right to buy after that year. Sandy learned the butchery and smallgood trade from a friendly North East Valley butcher, Mr Denniston and went on to purchase the shop.
The Butchery became a family business and was incorporated in 1963, to include Sandy’s two sons, Donald and James (Jim) and for a few years, Sandy’s son in law, Ken DaRin. Over the next fifteen years, the business underwent an extensive modernization project to increase output with the purchase of small good manufacturing and packaging plants, the development of a stock receiving hall and remodelling of the retail shop. It was also during this period that the sawdust floors were replaced with hard surfaces.
Sandy continued to work at the shop well into his late seventies but by 1986, Jim owned the business outright. The business continued to grow under his management, culminating in two world record attempts for the biggest haggis, successfully in 1993 and unsuccessfully in 2007. Over the years, Leckie’s Butchery has always prided itself on the quality of its product, whether it is sold directly over the counter to individuals, to local supermarkets or to restaurants.
Sandra and Grant Millar, daughter and son in law of Jim and Eleanor Leckie purchased the business upon Jim's retirement in March 2007.