An Ayr butcher is enjoying the taste of success after being named the best in the region. 

Hamilton's in Ayr's Walker Road won the Best Butchers regional title at Scotlands Business Awards 2024 on Sunday night. 

Owner Michael Cunningham took over the shop three years ago, and says the award is the icing on the cake. 

He said: "We are absolutely delighted with the award, it's a great accomplishment for us as a business. 

"We actually won a similar award for Best New Food Business back in 2022, just six months after we opened. 

"I've been a butcher since I was 18, working in Girvan, Ayr, and Kilmarnock before owning this place. 

"It's a lot more stressful running your own business, but so rewarding when you pick up honours like this."

Michael admits that running a business can be difficult, but believes his attention to high quality can make all the difference. 

He explained: "The climate we are in at the moment, it is not easy to be taking over a business.

"To have awards like these shows that we are doing the right thing, and we want to keep doing that.

"We're not in the town centre so it's so important that we have good produce to make customers want to come back. 

"We really rely on maintaining our high standards, and hopefully being named the best butchers in Ayrshire shows we are on the right track."

The shop currently employs two members of staff alongside Michael, and is undergoing a fresh refurbishment. 

He added: "We are always looking to diversify, and so have a range of ready-made microwavable meals with our produce. 

"There's classics like mince and tatties, stovies and soups, and we also have a takeaway attached to the shop that does rolls, pies and other items.

"We're a real hard working business that always welcomes support from the people of Ayr."