South Cambridgeshire butcher battles back from stroke to own his first shop

A South Cambridgeshire butcher has battled back from having a stroke to take ownership of his first shop.

Miles Nicholas, 56, from Little Shelford, has been in the butchery business since he was 15, and spent 13 years at Gog Butchery, part of the Gog Farm Shop in Shelford Bottom.

Four years ago he suffered a stroke that left him having to learn to speak fully again.

Now, following treatment at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, he has become the owner of Morgan’s Butchery, based at Baythorne Hall, near Haverhill.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Miles. “If you told me this four years ago when I laid in hospital I would have happily said this doesn’t happen, life doesn’t work like that. I am lucky to be back at work and doing these things.”

Miles officially took over the business on March 31 from the shop’s founder, Matt Morgan, whom he had trained to be a butcher at the Gog Butchery.

While there, Miles also trained Jack Archer, from Kedington, who in 2013 was runner-up in a national young butcher of the year awards – and today Jack is occasionally helping Miles out at his new shop for free.

It was while working at Gog Butchery that Miles had a stroke. He had to have six months off work, and having lost most of his speech, he was taught to speak again by a therapist, who began the task by showing him pictures of meats so he could learn those words once more.

He still has difficulties forming sentences and has other issues that make some aspects of running a shop difficult, all of which led to him initially moving to work at Morgan’s Butchery 18 months ago.

Miles, a former president of the Cambridge & District Butchers’ Guild, already knew Matt, so was able to have the right kind of support in the workplace for those things with which he struggled.

Now Miles receives help from his wife and daughter to complete some tasks – which can be as simple as sending emails – but when it comes to the butchery side of things, he is in his element.

Miles said: “I needed a place like this. I grew up in a shop like this. So I know what needs to be done.”

He also does talks to WI groups about his recovery from the stroke and has raised money for the ward at Addenbrooke’s where he received care after his stroke.