THE Beef Shop, Maddington has sold to new owners.
The Beef Shop proprietor and beef producer Kevin Armstrong decided to move out of the retail sector in March and has sold his business to Brian McDonald, Margaret River Gourmet Meats, in partnership with The Beef Shop butcher Russell Taylor.
Mr Armstrong believes the shop will be well suited for the partnership as the Margaret River butcher services individual household and business wholesale requirements for local restaurants.
"We sold the shop and have been running our own properties and commission buying," he said.
"We learnt a lot by being in it, but it is a very competitive business.
"You have to be hands on all the time.
"Brian (McDonald) does a lot of wholesale, restaurants and hotels in the region, so it works out well for him."
The shop was sold in October and its new owners have settled into the venture quickly, Mr Armstrong said.
"They are a joint partnership, and it works hand-in-hand with what they are doing in the Margaret River," he said.
"I spoke with them the other day and they seem to be pretty busy with it."
Mr Armstrong has been involved in the beef industry for 40 years, and moved his family from the country to Perth seven years ago to start his own butcher shop in Maddington.
But due to a busy schedule and health reasons Mr Armstrong decided it was time to hang up his apron.
Mr Armstrong was inspired to buy a butcher shop in 2007, saying at the time that if he wanted to keep going in the beef industry, he needed to have his own outlet.
The family developed their own beef brand, the Willowbank Angus label, which evolved from 40 years of breeding Angus cattle just south of Harvey.
Mr Armstrong said he would continue to work in the beef industry.