Small-town butchers thrive as supply shortages hit Australian supermarkets

Paul Avery, of Ford's Butchery in Tamworth, has experienced a rush back to small butchers as pandemic shortages hit big supermarkets. Photograph: Tom Plevey/The Guardian

The paddock-to-plate business model and short supply chains have allowed small-town retailers to sidestep most of the shortage problems faced by the large supermarkets.

Despite being an abattoir town, Tamworth has suffered meat shortages the same as everywhere else in Australia, something not lost on consumers – or employees of the supermarkets.