THE MP for Hatherleigh visited the town's abattoir recently to see how the business has moved forward since Dawn Meats purchased it in 2012.

Central Devon MP Mel Stride met with commercial director Peter Bowyer, who took him on a tour of the abattoir, which slaughters around 1,200 cattle a week and has 16 slaughtermen on its workforce.

Speaking after his visit Mel said: 'It was good to spend time with such an important local employer and to learn more about the high standards at this facility. At a time when many consumers are concerned about the authenticity of food labelling I was particularly pleased to hear about Dawn Meats 'Farm to Fork' guarantee, whereby the slaughtering and processing of their meat can be simply and easily traced so consumers can really trust that they are buying local meat from local farmers.'

Peter Bowyer added: 'It was great to see Mel take such an interest in our abattoir and to be able to show him first-hand the important role we play within the farming industry.'

Hatherleigh abattoir was built in 1967 and was taken over by Dawn Meats in 2012.

The company won nine awards in 2013 for its products and for its focus on environmental sustainability.