Client Stories: Bresnan’s Butchers

As part of our Buy Local Campaign we are highlighting some good news stories from our clients. 

There are so many small local businesses out there right now that are working so hard during the pandemic. SMEs have been innovating over the last few months and many have reinvented how they do business. At TaxAssist Accountants we feel this work deserves to be commended.    

This week we spoke to Patrick Bresnan of Bresnan’s Butchers who has had an eventful 12 months. Here’s what happened …

… Patrick Bresnan’s story doesn’t begin with the arrival of COVID-19 to our shores but starts a bit further back when a fire destroyed his premises last August. 

Bresnan’s Butchers Ltd. was established in 1890 in Cork. It is a family run business and operated a shop in Douglas Village Shopping Centre. The shopping centre however was forced to close last year when a fire in the multi-storey car park resulted in extensive damage.

After the fire, with the prospect of their physical store not reopening for many months, Bresnan’s began to trade online and set up an online shop on their website. 

At the start online business was a bit slow to take off. Patrick explains how “people were still accustomed to seeing and picking out their own produce so in the beginning many people were reluctant to shop for their meat online. COVID-19 changed all that.”

In March, COVID-19 brought with it an unprecedented move to online shopping and unlike many businesses, Bresnan’s was ready for it. They already had a shop set up on their website and delivery procedures in place, so from the very start of the restrictions in Ireland they could offer a contact free delivery service to Cork City, the suburbs and indeed nationwide. Business from the online shop really picked up. All of a sudden people wanted their meat delivered and Bresnan’s was ready to oblige.

Patrick says “we are, of course, looking forward to the shopping centre reopening but are delighted that in the meantime the online shop has taken off and we have been able to expand our product range on there. We are now also delivering fresh veg.”

The reopening of restaurants at the start of the month has also given a boost to business as Bresnan’s are a supplier to several high-quality restaurants in Cork City and county.

If a fire hasn’t stopped them and a pandemic hasn’t stopped them, I reckon Bresnan’s will be around for another 120 years! But fingers crossed the next 12 months are less eventful than the last.

Bresnan's Butchers is a client of TaxAssist Accountants Cork and you can find out more about them here

Published 17/07/2020

 

 

Last updated: 17th July 2020