THE unthinkable is happening.
Flash (Andrew) Welfare is moving on.
The owner of Halliday’s Butchers – itself a Portland institution – has decided 12 years at the helm is enough. It’s a dozen years which is almost over as soon as it began. Time is like that.
Mr Welfare, who bought the renowned butchery from the Halliday family in about 2012, has been a butcher since 1996. Before Halliday’s, he ran the Short Street Butchers, which he said ultimately was no match for its competitor, so when the opportunity arose to move on he took it.
Clearly one who knows a good thing when he sees it, Mr Welfare has seized yet another opportunity and accepted an offer from protégé Kobe Webster to buy the business.
“I didn’t really want to sell, but Kobe wants to have a go … and I don’t want to be five years down the track and have no one to sell it to,” he said.
“I like doing this so it’s going to be tough for me to leave, but I will take up other interests. I have my food van still – The Smokehouse – and I do a bit at Kyeema; lawns and stuff – just helping out.”
Locals have benefitted immensely over the years through Mr Welfare’s complimentary meat trays and more. Seems he’s always been a sucker for a good cause and no doubt the new owners will continue the tradition.
The original owners of the business would hardly recognise it now.
The oldest butchery in Victoria and still operating on the same block of land since 1848, it was bought by Reuben Halliday in 1948. And apart from when it changed hands from 1956 to 1966, it’s been Halliday’s.
Mr Welfare opted to keep the name when he took over, but has since made it even better than ever, winning numerous state awards in that time as well recently making it to the nationals with a sausage sizzle featuring their special Thai chicken snags.
But he gives credit where it’s due: the Thai chicken recipe is Mr Webster’s own blend of herbs and spices, which bodes well for the success of the butchery’s next life cycle.
Mr Webster and his partner Hannah Palfreyman plan to change the name. It will bring the 175-year-old business right into the 21st century.
“We’re changing it to The Uppercut Butchers for a fresh look and a fresh start,” said Ms Palfreyman.
And already, the pair have their own runs on the board.
While “excited and nervous” about their big leap of faith, Mr Webster acknowledges that he is somewhat comforted by the fact that “Flash will still be floating around”, but he is not without his own business acumen.
Having worked his way up in the butchery from clean-up boy after leaving school, Mr Webster and Ms Palfreyman have already proved their mettle with a small business on the side on Julia Street.
Called Rip N Rub, making and selling secret-recipe seasonings, the pair rented a shop in Julia Street for about nine months in 2022.
“It really took off but went downhill a bit because of COVID,” said Ms Palfreyman. “Then we decided to buy the butcher’s so now we get someone else to make the seasonings,” she said.
“We’re putting that on hold now until we’re more settled [in the new business], but Portlanders loved the seasonings!”
Mr Webster said the chance to buy the legendary butchery was too good an opportunity to pass up.
“I had already worked here for five or six years, so I thought I’d [make the move] while I could.”
And while Ms Palfreyman won’t be a regular face at the new Uppercut Butchers (she works full time at Portland Bay School) she plans to help out once or twice a week or “whenever Kobe needs a hand, doing things like pay roll and book work”.
“Kobe will be front man. [So] we’ll have two butchers and two or three juniors … I’ll really just be jumping in and helping where I can.”
No doubt Portlanders will be watching carefully. “Flash” has big shoes to fill.
But The Uppercut Butchers has youth, business nous, time and innovation on their side.
They officially start their new adventure tomorrow.
