By Emma Saul
This article was published in the August 2026 edition of Soul Search, the Journal of The Sole Society
Sauls of Spratton is celebrating it’s 100th year as a family owned butchers and caterers in Northamptonshire. The business in the quiet village of Spratton, north of Northampton, was taken over in 1926 by Frank Evelyn Saul from I believe it may have Copson, and FE Saul and Sons butchers began it’s humble life as a village butcher shop.
Frank Evelyn was born in Bourton/Birdingbury in around 1890, and in 1911 was a butcher for Home and Colonial Butchers (along with his brother Ernest Arthur Saul) and was an employer. He was living with his parents. By 1921 he was a farmer at Glebe Farm, Staverton, Daventry with his wife Cecile, and daughter and son Kathleen and Peter. At this stage there was a slaughterhouse out the back of the building in Spratton, and this later became the bakehouse where the family produced a range of pies and pastries, as well as our own recipe sausages all based on family recipes from Great Granny Saul (Cecile).
Peter took over from Frank Evelyn in time and his brother William continued the farming. Peter’s contribution to the business was interrupted by WWII but he returned safely and picked up the family business, marrying Kathleen Sanders and went on to have two children Christopher and Carol.
During the clear out of the Spratton shop over Covid, we found records from after the war of the shop rounds where Peter still served many of the large houses in the areas including Holdenby House owned by the Lowther family and Haselbech Hall owned at the time by the Ismay family (of the Whitestar Line/Titanic notoriety). There are records of the rationing problems they faced and instances where they had to buy whale meat as that was all that was available.
Peter continued the family business for many years and was joined by Christopher in the 60s after a stint in Germany to learn the European ways of butchery. Christopher introduced lots of new ideas to the business and started making the pork pies, meat pies and pastries that the business has become well known for locally. Among many awards for various products over the years, in 2012 Chris developed the Diamond Pork Pie in honour of the Queens Diamond Jubilee and was thrilled to present her with a queen sized version during her visit to Burghley House that year, and later sent one to the palace. He also began catering and with the help of some specially made hog roasting units would travel the county catering weddings and parties almost every weekend. This led to a stand at the Northampton Saints Rugby ground where we have now been feeding hungry rugby fans for over 30 years. In 2025 Christopher was awarded a lifetime achievement award by the prestigious Made in Northamptonshire group for his contribution to the Northamptonshire food scene.
In 2011 daughter Emma and her husband Mark officially joined the business (although we’d been roped in for many years before this!) and Mark continued to expand the catering side, starting with mobile trailers at various events for the 2012 Olympics, and now catering at high profile events across the country, from Wimbledon, Silvertone F1 and Goodwood, to RHS flower shows at Hampton Court, Chelsea and this year Badminton, concerts, festivals, country shows and everything in between!
During Covid the nature of the business changed and the family decided to close the shop in Spratton and concentrate the butchery at their counter within Smiths Farm Shop in Chapel Brampton (another long standing Family owned Northamptonshire business), and they still operate this side of the business from here serving loyal customers week in, week out, as well as an online shop for local delivery.
The economic climate for small businesses has certainly changed a huge amount over the last 100 years but we’re very proud to have made it this far.
So keep do an eye out for a Sauls coffee or food trailer, next time you’re at a big event!
