Premium online butcher Donald Russell has been rescued, after it ceased trading in April citing “mounting challenges” driven by meat price volatility.
The Aberdeenshire-based business is set to resume deliveries from 9 June, having been acquired by fellow upmarket DTC butcher DukesHill.
The two brands will continue to operate independently under the deal, although Shropshire-based royal warrant holder DukesHill would not confirm if there would be any further job losses in addition to the 30 lost at Donald Russell in April.
The future of fellow premium DTC butcher Farmison, owned by Donald Russell since last autumn, is unclear, however, with the brand having endured a turbulent recent history.
Farmison collapsed into administration in April 2023, before being acquired by ex-Asda boss Andy Clarke the same month.
Clarke and his team then sold off its intellectual property and existing contracts to Donald Russell in October, while a separate deal saw Farmison’s meat processing site and shop in Ripon, North Yorkshire sold to GPS Food Group subsidiary Febripa Holdings, which now operate as Ripon Foods.
The Grocer understands the Farmison website stopped taking orders around three months ago, and went offline last month.
DukesHill and Donald Russell CEO Mark Gallagher declined to comment on the future of Farmison, but said the purchase of Donald Russell gave the brand “an opportunity for long-term continuity and investment under new ownership”.
“It’s a respected heritage brand with a loyal customer base which strongly aligns with DukesHill’s focus on quality, provenance and commitment to excellent customer service,” he continued.
Donald Russell recorded an operating loss of £3.08m in financial year ending 28 December 2024, which followed an operating loss of £2.5m in 2023, according to accounts filed at Companies House.
Gallagher said Donald Russell had sustained “mounting operational challenges in recent years, including rising energy and operating costs”, and attempted a growth recovery plan in 2025.
This included restructuring and consolidating operations into a single site, focusing on growing its trade business, and closing its contact centre to focus on online DTC sales.
With Farmison collapsing in 2023 and Donald Russell in 2026, Gallagher acknowledged the DTC meat market had become “more challenging, particularly with rising operating costs and changes in consumer behaviour”.
“But we still see strong long-term demand for premium quality food and trusted heritage brands,” he continued. “Donald Russell has built a loyal customer base over many decades, and we believe there remains a strong future for well-positioned premium direct-to-consumer food businesses.”
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