4 Generations of Spencer's Butchers

1920s
The Spencer's story starts back in the 1920's when the current owner Shaun Spencer's Great-Grandfather,
Herbert Spencer, opened the first family butcher shop in Sydney. Herbert Spencer had 10 children. All 5 of his sons became butchers, and all 5 daughters married butchers!

1940s
Alan Spencer was Herbert's youngest son - and Shaun's Grandfather. He and his brothers worked for Herbert before going off to war in 1942. On his return Alan opened up his own store in Sydney, and also had a small farm and slaughter house in Bargo, New South Wales.

In 1954 Alan moved his wife and 5 children to Brisbane, where he opened a butcher shop at 11 Latrobe Terrace
in Paddington (the building looks much the same today and is occupied by fashion boutique "Network 2"). At first they lived in a tent at Shorncliffe but moved into the leaky old garage behind the store to avoid the long travel to work each day. Of course they still had to sleep in the tent so they wouldn't get wet when it rained.

Alan and Mavis's 5 children all helped out in the shop before and after school and eventually Alan's sons began their apprenticeships. The family opened up a second store diagonally across the street on Given Terrace
(now Turkish Restaurant "Harem" - next to the Kookaburra Cafe) along with stores in Spring Hill and Everton Park.

1960s
When Alan's oldest son Dennis Spencer - a Vietnam Veteran who served with D Company in the iconic Battle Of Long Tan - returned from service, they sold the Spring Hill and Everton Park butcher shops. They opened a new shop at Baroona Rd in Milton, which Dennis ran. Alan continued running the Latrobe Terrace shop and Shaun's father Mick Spencer took over the running of the Given Terrace shop.

In 1971, Mick opened a new Spencer's Meats at the Barry Park Drive Shopping Centre in the newly developing surburb of The Gap. Alan closed the Latrobe Tce store and took over the Given Tce location.

When eventually Alan retired to the Gold Coast the Given Tce shop was closed. Mick and Dennis expanded Spencer's Butcheries, and at one stage owned shops at Sundale, Ashgrove, Fairfield and Centenary as well as The Gap and Milton stores.

1980s
In 1982 Mick's 13 year old son Shaun Spencer - along with his younger brother Brett - started working as clean up boys at the Barry Park Drive shop. Shaun went on to begin his apprenticeship in 1986, before the Barry Park Drive shopping strip was replaced by The Gap Village Shopping Centre. Brett started his apprenticeship in 1992 working with Shaun and their father in the Gap store and before long even their mum Liz was serving on the counter.

Somewhere around this time Mick & Liz's daughter Nikki became a vegetarian, but they continued to love her anyway and began selling a range of vegetarian products rather than put her up for adoption.

2000
In mid 2002 Shaun and his wife Sue took over the business at The Gap Village Shopping Centre to begin the fourth generation of Spencer's Butchers. In 2007 Shaun & Sue refurbished the store (below) before learning that they would not be given the opportunity to continue trading in the location that the family business had called home for 37 years.

In 2008 Shaun and Sue relocated Spencer's Meats to the Park Village Shopping Centre in Middle Park. In 2009 they completely refurbished the Park Village butcher shop - transforming it into a more accessable store with a 'state of the art' display cabinet, located directly outside the new Coles Supermarket.

(see the before and after comparison)