I’m the Queen’s favourite village butcher – she always had the same order

THE Queen’s favourite village butcher has revealed she always had the same order.

John Sinclair, who owns HM Sheridan butchers, is responsible for supplying meat to Balmoral Castle and its neighbouring estate Birkhall.

The 57-year-old butcher recalls delivering to the castle in Aberdeen and having “such good banter” with the Queen describing her as “cheeky”.

He said he would always make Her Majesty some special sausages for Summer barbecues and a lamb would usually be on the order for big family gatherings.

He told The Times he was nervous the first time meeting the longest reigning monarch about a decade ago when she was at a garden party on castle grounds.

“I looked down on this small woman who had such good banter. She was quite cheeky as well,” Mr Sinclair added.

The butcher said even in the Queen’s final weeks she still had the same humour she’d always had.

“She had already met Barry Florence, my business partner, and she said to me ‘I believe you are the other half of the partnership’. She had a little smile on her face,” he said.

“She still had that humour when I last met her three weeks ago, in my capacity as chairman of the Ballater Highland Games.

“She was on really good form that day.”

Mr Sinclair was in the middle of preparing her usual order when he heard of her health issues over the radio on Thursday.

“I thought ‘this might be the last order I make up for Her Majesty the Queen’,” he added.

The shop is in a small village called Ballater – a place the Queen knew well – and was the first to say goodbye as her coffin made its way to London on Sunday, September 11.

Reverend David Barr, minister for the church, said: “It’s like your mum has passed away it’s that sort of grief.

“In this village everyone knows each other. Everyone cares about each other.”