Opies Quality Meats closing after 50+ years in business

A popular British food store on the Hamilton mountain is closing down after more than half a century. It’s leaving customers upset, and employees saying they’re losing what was probably the best job they’ve ever had.

“I’m very sad that it’s closing, I would have liked to work here for the rest of my life.”

Opies Quality Meats has been on Concession Street since the 1960s which makes it the longest running business on the street.

Opies is a place for people to get British favorites like “steak, steak and kidney, steak and mushroom, steak and onion, sausage rolls, bridies, scotch pies.”

People have had to order well in advance to get their haggis from Opies for this coming winter. “Right now people are coming in buying their haggis for January because we’re not going to be here.”

Owner Lorraine Halpin owned the store with her husband Paul. He passed away this year, and she says the store is too much for her alone, it’s time to retire so it’s been sold.

“We’ve made a lot of friends, customers have become like friends, people right now are just so upset that we’re closing the store… it’s gonna be kind of sad,” Halpin said.

After more than 50 years in business, the store has become part of the community on Concession Street.

Customers are speaking out online and calling Opies to tell them how they feel about the closing. “It’s a shame. What a shame, where are we gonna get our haggis? Where are we going to get our black pudding? What are we going to do without you?”

Opies Quality Meats will be closing on Dec. 23, 2023.

“It’s like everything else. Things have to come to an end at some point,” Halpin said.