A family butchery firm is carving itself a place in the hearts of Carlisle meat-lovers after expanding its business into the city.

First Choice Meats has set up shop in Caldewgate following the major refurbishment of a building which in previous lives was a garage and tile shop.

The company is already well-established in Workington where it has a shop on the Buddle Road industrial estate and Cleator Moor where it trades through Crossfield Garage. It also has a concession at Dobbies on the outskirts of Carlisle at Orton Grange.

David France, its retail manager, explained that First Choice is the retail arm of its parent company artisan smokers, Taste of the Lakes.

It has been selling wholesale cured meats and fish to hotels and restaurants for the past seven years winning over 40 gold Great Taste Awards for its products, including its Penrith pepperpot sausage and traditional Cumberland sausage.

The opening of the Carlisle shop brought six new jobs to the city boosting the company's total workforce to 40. It also has a production unit in Maryport where the meat is butchered.

David, 24, explained: "We pride ourselves on employing local people who may not be qualified in the trade. We train them up to give them readily transferable skills.

"Our ethos is very much about being local. All our meat is locally sourced with our beef and lamb coming from within a 50-mile radius of our factory in Maryport. We are firmly rooted in local farming methods and our meat is all top quality."

David's father 51-year-old Julian is general manager while his brother Ben, 29, is branch manager. The set-up is completed by managing director Robson Hodgson and his son David Hodgson who is the curing expert.

Julian worked as a butcher in Lancashire before moving to Cumbria where he met Robson. The pair set up Taste of the Lakes in 2010.

David said: "Originally we were a wholesale operation supplying hotels and restaurants then three or four years ago decided to go into retail which is when First Choice Meat was set up in Workington.

"We had been looking for somewhere in Carlisle for a while. We wanted bigger premises which is when we decided to open in Caldewgate. The building was little more than a shell but we put in a new roof, sides and floor before moving in the big fridges.

"All the meat and fish we sell is pre-packaged and priced. Customers know what they are getting and how much they have to pay without being faced with a counterful of loose meat. This can be very daunting especially for younger people who may not know what to buy or how much.

"We bridge the gap between the traditional butcher selling good quality meat and the supermarket where meat is often pre-packaged but can be of a lesser quality.

"We provide high-end butcher's meat at good prices. David and Robson were both brought up on farms so know the value of quality local produce - it runs in their blood.

"With us what you see is what you get and our counters are easy to navigate. Our sales teams are experienced in all our products which they are encouraged to taste. They can provide people with recipe ideas and hints on how to cook meat.

"We want to reinvigorate passion for high quality meat at good prices. Because we have a wholesale operation dealing in bulk we are able to work with smaller margins passing the benefit on to the customer."