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Brothers Charles and John Leadbetter were butchers on the estate
of the Earl of Ferrers, in Stowe by-Chartley, Staffordshire, England. In 1905,
after the estate had gone bankrupt as a result of new taxation, Charles followed
his brother-in-law, James Taylor, a boat builder, to Toronto seeking a better
life. His wife Florence and children Annie, Hilda, Jack and Harry and his
brother John, followed the next year.
They settled in Toronto, but worked toward the dream of owning their own
farm. They moved to the Markham area and worked the land for some years. In 1926 they went back into the
family trade with the establishment of Leadbetter’s Butcher Store on Main
Street, Markham, Ontario. The business thrived in the family name until 1998.
MARKHAM
CIRCA 1955
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In 1974, Bill Leadbetter (son of Jack), moved his
family to Washago, Ontario, and opened Leadbetter’s Meat Market. In 1981, Bill set up at
a
new location in Longford and grew it successfully until his son, Philip, took over
the business in 1990.
Philip, with his wife Pat,
gradually expanded to include a processing and distribution plant. In 2001 the retail and
wholesale parts of the business were separated. With a new partner, Will Carson,
a larger production facility was built in Orillia. The Longford retail
location was sold to private interests.
After several expansions, Leadbetter Foods is in
the process of building another modern facility dedicated to our bacon and pork
production. Announcements will be made in late 2011.
ABOUT COWBOY STEAKS
In 1983, Bill developed the method of marinating a less costly
cut of beef especially for the barbeque. These steaks were excellent value, consistently tender
and flavourful . They became known as “Cowboy Steaks”.
The name was trademarked and the popularity of
Cowboy
Brand products continued to grow. They are now available in many retail
outlets across the country. ... Always Great!
CIRCA 1955 PRICES - PER POUND |
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