“My motto is, ‘If my mam won’t eat it, then we won’t sell it” says Butcher Malcolm Leary, who has worked in Kirkgate market almost every day since he was just fourteen.
Today he is a bit of a local legend and a very much part of the furniture at the market, where he’s worked now for four decades.
A much-loved part of the community, Malcolm is known as the guy who’ll help anybody, and is often doing outreach work.
At Christmas, he set up a huge cube outside his butchers and asked his customers to donate new toys to give to children whose families were impacted by addiction – raising £15,000 worth of toys.
He also did a ‘Get Your Kit Off’ campaign to encourage people to donate their unwanted clothes to charity, even getting the Leeds Rhinos team involved to donate some of their actual kits with names and numbers on.
The popular butcher also hosts daily coffee mornings for the homeless outside his shop, giving out 20 free drinks and food every day.
He’s got a big heart and, for him, it’s all about giving back to the market that helped him to turn his life around.
When he was a young lad he was given a second chance by his boss after messing around, and never looked back. Now he’s on a mission to pay it forward, having worked his way up the ranks from washing trays on Saturdays to being co-owner.
“It honestly saved me,” Malcolm said about the market. “It’s saved a lot of people. That’s important.
“I employ ex young offenders, people from broken homes, and people who have had a tough time.”
“As long as I see something in them – if they’re a little bit cheeky and have that market quality – then I’ll give them a job.
“The only condition is that they work hard and don’t get involved in the wrong things.”
As well as being famous in Leeds for his charitable giving, he’s also a bit of a local celebrity in his own right.
With over 15,000 followers on Instagram alone, Malcolm Michaels Butchers is very well known in the city – thanks in part to the hilarious content he posts with best friend and colleague Danny Malin of Rate My Takeaway fame.
“Danny’s the celebrity, but I would say I’m the most famous butcher in Leeds – and I don’t think other butcher’s would argue with that.”
You can find Malcom Michaels Butchers in Kirkgate market and follow them on Instagram here.
Feature image – Malcom Michaels Butchers.
