Curate puts meat on the bone to combine church and steak

The Rev Ben Nicholson is combining his role as assistant curate at Helmsley Church with a job as meat development manager at Thomas of Helmsley – formerly Pern's.

Mr Nicholson is familiar with the building as he was only two-years-old when his family moved into the same place to live with his grandparents, who owned the original butcher's shop downstairs.

He said: "I love being back at the shop and I think the customers like the fact I am a familiar face, though there have been some funny reactions if I happen to be wearing my dog collar.

"My father taught me that the secrets of a successful butcher are good skills, good old fashioned service and, above all, an interest and passion for what you're doing. I'm hoping to bring all that to the butcher's block at Thomas of Helmsley."

Rev'd Nicholson – who takes services, weddings and christenings at the church and was ordained at York Minster in 2008 – has made sausages which were a regional finalist in Britain's star sausage competition.

"I love devising recipes from scratch – especially as all the wonderful meat for the shop is farmed locally," he added.